F.A.C. File No 




m22t957 



communication 

Vfficer 


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g-Tf:' -.iC;- -■-■'•'*• 

THE TRAINING DIVISION* BUREAU OF NAVAL PERSONNEL 


NAVPERS 16101 (Revised) 




THE TRAINING DIVISION 


US. BUREAU OF NAVAL PERSONNEL 


NAVPERS 16101 (Revised) 



I-ISRAR/ 
ATtWY end 
STAFF QOLLi-ui. 


2958 


RESTIICIED 





FOREWORD 

In this booklet an effort has been made to bring 
together under a single cover the most important duties 
of a communication officer, and to point out what prac¬ 
tical and administrative proficiency a good communi¬ 
cation officer should possess. The problems which have 
confused communication officers in the past—and which 
still confuse many!—are discussed, together with the 
tricks learned only by bitter experience. 

Security does not permit a detailed discussion of 
coding operation, but numerous references to current 
publications are listed and these should be read at the 
first opportunity. 

It is not intended that this booklet be used in place 
of Communication Instructions^ or any other official 
publication; it is to be used in conjunction with them. 


u 





INDEX 


in 


Or 

Pasre 


The Communication Officer_ 1 

Duties_ 1 

Division officer—Leadership_ 2 

Knowledge of your job_ 3 

Supplies for your ship_ 3 

Publications_ 4 

Determining allowance of publications_ 7 

Quarterly reports_ 10 

Status of publications_ 11 

Destruction reports_ 11 

Change of command_ 12 

Corrections to publications_ 12 

Recognition signals_ 15 

Other sources of information_ 16 

Codes and ciphers_^_ 17 

Security_ 18 

Movement reports_ 18 

The coding board_ 18 

Abbreviations_ 20 

Paraphrasing_ 21 

Drafting of messages_ 21 

When the message “Won’t Break!”_ 23 

Internal organization_ 23 

Censorship_ 25 

Watch standing as 0. O. D_ 25 

The Radio Officer_ 27 

Frequencies—Calibration . of transmitters and 

receivers_ 28 

Training_ 29 

Radio procedure_ *29 

Underwater sound- 31 

Radio direction finding- 32 

Contact and amplifying reports- 33 

Radio theory_ 33 

Careless radio operation_ 33 

Distress calls on 500 kc- 34 

Advancement in rating- 34 

Files_ 35 


ui 







































Page 

The Signal OflBcer_ 37 

Signal organization_ 37 

Flag hoist_ 37 

Flashing light_ 39 

Semaphore_ 40 

Visual procedure_ 40 

Visual file_ 41 

Drills_ 41 

The Ship’s Secretary_ 43 

Correspondence and Filing_ 43 

Mail Log_ 44 

Navy Mail Clerks_ 44 

Appendix A_ 47 

Simplified naval radio W/T procedure_ 47 

Plaindress messages_ 48 

(1) The call_ 48 

(2) Preamble_ 50 

(3) Address_ 53 

(4) Message instructions_ 54 

(5) Text_ 54 

(6) The message ending_ 55 

Direct communication_ 57 

Codress messages_ 57 

Procedure messages_ 58 

(1) INT_ 59 

(2) IMI_ 59 

(3) “J”_ 60 

(4) QJM- 60 

(5) QMO_ 61 

Acknowledgments_ 62 

Appendix B_ 64 

Radio wave propagation and frequency charac¬ 
teristics_ 64 

Appendix C_ 73 

Notes on advancement in rating_ 73 

Appendix D_ 75 

Communication check-off list_ 75 


IV 







































Communication 

OFFICER 


DUTIES 

On board capital ships, aircraft carriers, cruisers, 
and on other vessels where conditions warrant, the 
commanding officer appoints an officer of the line to act 
as communication officer. On the large ships (light 
cruisers and larger), the communication officer has three 
assistants: the radio officer, the signal officer, and the 
ship’s secretary. On ships the size of destroyers and 
smaller, including most auxiliaries, the communication 
officer himself is the radio and signal officer, and ship’s 
secretary, and must know the duties of each. 

The communication officer is responsible for the oper¬ 
ation and maintenance of the radio, sound, and visual 
signalling apparatus; for the compartments and deck 
spaces occupied by such apparatus; for the operation 
and maintenance of all internal communications 
(within the ship) employed in connection with external 
communications; for the procurement, custody, distri¬ 
bution, and correction of classified publications; for the 
preparation of all communication records and reports; 
for the organization, operation and supervision of all 
ship’s communications to insure reliable, secure and 
rapid handling of messages. 

A good communication officer must develop a genuine 
interest in his work and in his men. He should under¬ 
stand visual communications, have a knowledge of 
tactics, and be able to read flag hoists, flashing light, and 
semaphore. He must understand radio communica- 


1 


tions, methods of delivering fleet traffic, radio pro¬ 
cedure, technical radio, and ought to be able to read the 
International Morse Code. He must have a thorough 
knowledge of cryptography as that subject pertains to 
current Navy systems. He must be proficient in the 
duties of the ship’s secretary, understand chain-of-com- 
mand, official correspondence, filing, the handling of 
mail and mail logs, and other duties as set forth in 
U. S. Navy Regulations, 1920, and Communication 
Instructions, 1944. 

The communication officer must be familiar with any 
operation plans, particularly the portions pertaining 
to communications. From the OPLAN he must or¬ 
ganize, write, and distribute the ship’s communication 
plan. 

DIVISION OFFICER-LEADERSHIP 

If you are communication officer, you will also be the 
division officer of the “C” division, which is composed 
of yeomen, quartermasters, signalmen, radiomen, and 
certain other technicians. Not only must you know 
naval communications, but you must Tctww your men^ 
and know how to get the most out of them in line of 
duty. You must be a leader. You can he the greatest 
technical marvel the Navy has ever seen., hut you will 
fail if you can/not get along with your fellow men. 

Learn the names of the men in your division, where 
their homes are and where their interests lie. Help 
them study for advancement in rating and show a gen¬ 
uine interest in them and in their work. If they know 
you are interested in them, and that you know their joh 
as well as your own., they will work harder and longer 
without growling. And when you have your men work 
late, work late with them—don’t be seen going ashore 
with your golf clubs! 

Remember, your job requires not only a complete 
knowledge of naval communications, but, as division 
officer, a knowledge of human nature. You must be a 


2 


leader and know how to get your men to work for you, 
not by virtue of the stripes on your sleeve, but because 
of the man inside. 

KNOWLEDGE OF YOUR JOB 

Reliable, secure, and rapid communications are a 
prime requisite in modern warfare. On your shoulders 
as communication officer rests a heavy responsibility. 
Your knowledge of communications, your initiative and 
ability, some day may mean the difference between vic¬ 
tory and defeat for your ship, the difference between 
life and death. 

You should know Communication Instructions 1944, 
from cover to cover, as well as the other publications 
which govern the conduct of naval communications. 
You must be familiar with fleet and task organizations, 
characteristics of radio frequencies, radio and crypto¬ 
graphic security, codes and ciphers, signals and tactics, 
radio, intelligence, sound, and direction finder proce¬ 
dure. 

SUPPLIES FOR YOUR SHIP 

You must see that the following supplies are on hand 
for use in the communication office and the coding room: 

{a) Weighted covers for publications. 

(b) Blue and green ink. 

(c) Hole puncher. 

(d) Forms for dispatches and correspondence. 

(e) Pads and blotters. 

(/) Pen sets. 

(g) Rubber, stamps with the following legends: 

Secret, Confidential, Restricted, Urgent, 
Operational Priority, Priority, Routine, 
Deferred, Mailgram, Airmailgram, etc. 

(h) Stamp pads. 

(i) Carbon paper. 

(j) Tools. 

(k) File boards. 


3 


(l) Index cards and case. 

(m) Paper of all types. 

(n) Folders. 

(o) Scissors. 

(p) Wire baskets. 

(q) Stapler machine and staples. 

(r) Scotch tape. 

( 5 ) Tapes. 

(^) Binders, pencils, stencils and mimeograph 
paper. 

(u) Canvas bags for destroying publications by 
sinking. 

These supplies can be obtained from civilian com¬ 
panies, navy yards, issuing offices, or the ship’s stores. 
You should remember, however, that the above list is not 
complete, and is only to help you get started. 

PUBLICATIONS 

The Navy Department publishes hundreds of publi¬ 
cations which deal with a wide variety of subj ects. Glds- 
sified publications are of three types: Secret, Confiden¬ 
tial, and Kestricted. Registered publications are classi¬ 
fied publications which bear a registered number. These 
numbers are assigned by the K. P. S. (Registered Pub¬ 
lication Section) in Washington, D. C., and would run 
from 1 to 3,000 if there were 3,000 copies of that particu¬ 
lar publication printed. All registered publications are 
classified, but not all classified publications are regis¬ 
tered. 

Your principal concern will be the secret and confi¬ 
dential publications used in the performance of your 
communication duties, but, in addition, you are respon¬ 
sible for all other publications. 

Classified and registered publications have “long 
titles” and “short titles,” and you should be familiar 
with both. For example, many gunnery publications 
have the short title “ORD,” followed by a number (ORB 
22). The long title of ORB 22 might be, “Instructions 


4 


for Bomb Nose Fuze, MK V.” Here are some of the 
more common short titles with their meanings: FTP- 
Fleet Training Publication; United States Fleet 

(publication); ONI —Office of Naval Intelligence; 
^PL —War Plans; WB —Weather Bureau; NWG — 
Naval War College; DTB —Destroyer Tactical Bul¬ 
letin; HGTB — Heavy Cruiser Tactical Bulletin; 
EN 6^—Engineering; Bureau of Ships; GSP— 

Communication Security Publication; PPN—Reg¬ 
istered Publication Section; HO —Hydrographic Office; 



DNG —Director of Naval Communications (publica¬ 
tion) ; ORD —Bureau of Ordnance; GGBP —Combined 
Communications Board Publication. 

Many United States Navy and British Royal Navy 
publication short titles are followed by a numeral or 
letters in parentheses denoting the edition number. 
Thus CSP 1271 (B) denotes the second edition of that 
publication, CSP 1271 (AB) the twenty-eighth edition, 
and SP 02380 (34) the thirty-fourth edition. The basic 
short title remains the same but the edition number or 
letter changes. 


589550°—44-2 


5 


Nonregistered communication publications have been 
assigned the short title “DNC” followed by a number. 
DNC3 is the U. S. Navy Radio Call Sign Book, DNC4 
the U. S. Navy Visual Call Sign Book. 

Publications published by the Combined Communica- 
cions Board are given the short title “CCBP” followed 
by a number. Restricted CCBP’s are as follows: 
CCBPl—Combined W/T Procedure; CCBP2—Operat¬ 
ing Signals; CCBP3—Combined R/T Procedure; 
CCBP4—Combined Teletype Procedure; CCBP5— 
Combined V/S Procedure; CCBP6—Extracts of 
CCBP5 for aircraft; CCBP7—Combined Communica¬ 
tion Instructions; CCBP8—Combined Panel Code; 
CCBPll—Fighter Director Vocabulary.* 

There are also confidential and secret CCBP’s. These 
publications are assigned numbers prefixed with 0 and 
00 respectively. 

As communication officer, you draw and stow all 
registered publications and devices for your ship, not 
just the ones pertaining to communications! 

Many registered publications are in continual use 
in the radio room. A list of these should be prepared, 
and each successive watch should be required to check 
this list and sign for them. This check list will aid 
tremendously, as responsibility for any loss will be 
fixed immediately. 

You must keep all confidential and secret publica¬ 
tions in your custody locked in your safe when not in 
use, except when they are issued to another officer 
aboard, in which case he is responsible for their safe 
stowage. You should obtain a signed custody receipt 
for all such publications issued, either temporarily or 
for permanent use, to other officers. (Be sure he under¬ 
stands the stowage requirements.) 

Learn how to change the combination of your safe 
right away. If some other officer knows the combina- 


♦Note: Information in CCBPl and CCBP3 is contained in Cominst, 
1944. 


6 



tion of your safe, change it immediately. Leave the 
new combination in a double sealed envelope with the 
captain. One word of caution: When you change the 
combination for the first time—and at all other times— 
be sure not to shut the door of the safe before you try 
out the new combination to make sure you set it cor¬ 
rectly. Try the new combination several fimes with 
the door open. It is very embarrassing to have the 
better part of a Class 5 allowance locked in a safe 
no one can open with an OP (Operational Priority) 
message waiting to be deciphered. 

DETERMINING ALLOWANCE OF PUBLICATIONS 

Let’s assume you are placing a ship in commission 
and do not have any publications. Publications are 
not placed aboard a vessel not in commission, but there 
is plenty you can do to get started. First get your 
P. C. O. (prospective commanding officer—prior to 
commissioning) or your C. O., as the case may be, to 
write you a letter of authorization (See KPSIO) to give 
the issuing officer. Here is a sample letter of authoriza¬ 
tion ; cut a stencil on it and have it filled appropriately 
every time you go to an issuing office: 

uss_ 


(Date) 

From: Commanding Officer. 

To: Commandant. (Issuing Officer) 

Subject: Authority to Dray Registered Publications. 

1. This is to certify that- 

whose signature appears below, is authorized to draw registered 
publications and mail for this command. 

2. The above officer will present NAVPERS 546 (identification 
card) as a means of personal identification. 

3. Documents drawn by this officer will be placed in proper 
stowage on the date the issue is made. 


(Signed) 

(Signature) 

(Ship’s Seal) 







Registered Publications Issuing Offices are store¬ 
houses for registered publications and devices. They 
are usually located at naval district headquarters, some 
Navy yards and naval operating bases. Find out from 
some officer on a nearby ship where the RPIO for your 
area is located. Before you start on your way, be sure 
you have your letter of authorization, which is neces¬ 
sary every time you go to the RPIO, and your identi¬ 
fication card. Introduce yourself to the issuing officer, 
show him your identification card, and present the letter 
of authorization. 

Unless you are a seasoned communication officer, the 
issuing officer will probably give you the currently 
effective edition of the Registered Publication Manual 
to read before he issues you any publications. This is 
your bible in regard to handling registered publica¬ 
tions. Read it from cover to cover and make sure you 
understand your responsibilities as custodian. (Your 
commanding officer is the “holder” and you are the 
“custodian.”) 

The first thing you will do is determine what “Class 
Allowance” your ship holds. Class Allowances run 
from Class 1 Afloat and Class 1 Ashore, to Class 5 
Afloat and Ashore. There are no divisions of Class 6 
and Class 7 allowances Afloat and Ashore. Class 1 is 
the lowest allowance and Class 7 the highest. The cur¬ 
rently effective edition of the 0/SP 1150 series lists the 
different types of ships, commanders, and shore stations, 
and shows the class allowance of each unit or authority. 

After determining your class allowance, you look in 
the RPS allowance tables (currently effective editions of 
RPS 6 and RPS 12) to find out wffiat specific publica¬ 
tions your allowance should have and the number of 
each. 

Working with the issuing officer, or one of his assist¬ 
ants, you check carefully the publications you are given 
(check the registered number, number of copies, short 
titles), wrap them up and place them in a mail bag, 


8 


sign a Transfer Report on Form RPS 1, take a carbon 
copy for your files, and proceed to your ship, where 
you stow all publications and devices in the safe. You 
may be able to borrow a United States Navy station 
wagon to take you and the bulging mail sacks to your 
ship—ask the issuing officer. Carry a .45 with you 
and make sure you know how to use it. 

In addition to the United States Navy publications, 
you must draw combined British-United States publi¬ 
cations, most of which bear the short title “SP” 
followed by numbers. (SP means Signal Publica¬ 
tion.) To determine what combined publications you 
draw from the issuing office, find out from RPS 12 



CHECK PM^^EFULLV WITH THE ISSUlWG OFFICER 


whether you are a major or a minor war vessel. Then 
look in the allowance table in RPS 12 and determine 
what specific publications you get. {RPS 12 also 
gives you the United States Glassification of combined 
publications.) These combined publications are just as 
important as our own—more so in certain cases—and 
must be read and understood at the first opportunity. 
They must be corrected up to date immediately, along 
with United States Navy publications. 

The Registered Publication Manual gives you com¬ 
plete information on the handling of registered publi¬ 
cations ; how to set up card index files, what to include 
in files, etc. 


9 
















QUARTERLY REPORTS 

All registered publications in your custody must be 
accounted for quarterly to the Chief of Naval Opera¬ 
tions (D. N. C.—Registered Publication Section) on 
Form EPS 16. Every quarter you and a witnessing 
officer “sight” all publications including those you havo 
issued to various officers (look at them, check regis¬ 
tered number, count them), and make out your report. 

If all registered publications and devices have been 
accounted for, you write on form EPS 16: “The quar¬ 



terly inventory of registered publications and devices 
was completed this date. No discrepancies.” Or, if 
conditions warrant: “The quarterly inventory of reg¬ 
istered publications and devices was completed this 
date. CSP 1000, registered number 999, missing, re¬ 
ported to CNO by dispatch (301134 of June 1942).” 
In both of the above cases further notations are required 
stating that all superseded publications that should be 
destroyed have been destroyed, and that all receipts 


10 




have been duly executed and forwarded to the proper 
authority. 

The exception to the rule in the preceding paragraph 
is that at least once each calendar year you must submit 
a complete report listing all publications and devices 
by short title and registered number. 

STATUS OF PUBLICATIONS 

Publications go through five stages during their life¬ 
time: 

1. In preparation. 

2. War Keserve (WK). 

3. Reserve-on-board (ROB). 

4. Effective. 

5. Superseded. 

Publications, after being printed, are distributed to 
issuing officers in a War Reserve status and are not 
issued to ships or stations. On a certain date, a pub¬ 
lication in a WR status goes to an ROB status, and 
may then be issued to ships, but it is not to be used until 
made effective. One of your most important duties, as 
communication officer, is to make certain you have all 
the ROB publications to which you are entitled. 

Registered Publication Shipment Memoranda 
{RPSM) furnish information to issuing officers on the 
status of the different publications. You will receive, 
from the RPIO, status sheets for use aboard ship. The 
RPSM tell you when a publication goes from WR to 
ROB, and the exact date on which it is effective and 
should be used. Whenever you go to an RPIO be sure 
to take with you the last number of the latest extract 
from the shipment memoranda you received. 

DESTRUCTION REPORTS 

When a publication is superseded it is burned. In 
some cases, however, superseded publications are re¬ 
tained for some period of time, so make sure you burn 


11 



publications only when instructed by appropriate 
authority. 

Whenever you burn a publication you must take 
along another commissioned officer as a witness. After 
burning the publications, you must submit a report of 
destruction on form RPS 2. Make sure you never burn 
a publication that is still effective. And never burn 
anything prior to the date given in the instructions, 
except under unusual circumstances (for example, when 
it is in danger of being captured by the enemy). 

CHANGE OF COMMAND 

A change of command in your ship or station will 
necessitate a Transfer Keport on form KPS 16. The 
currently effective edition of the Registered Publication 
Manual gives you complete procedure for this type of 
report; it is almost the same as a quarterly report. 

SEND IN ALL REQUIRED REPORTS ON TIME, 
AND BE SURE TO KEEP A CARBON COPY OF 
ALL REPORTS AND RECORDS FOR YOUR 
FILE. 

CORRECTIONS TO PUBLICATIONS 

At the issuing office you will be given publications 
which contain corrections to publications you have on 
board. These publications will be included on the 
transfer report you sign at the issuing office, so be sure 
to check carefully and get everything you are signing 
for. The publications containing changes come out 
about every month and often contain important discus¬ 
sions of current communications as well as corrections. 
Read them carefully and keep all publications in your 
custody up to date. 

The following is a list of these publications and what 
they correct: 

(1) CSPM (Communication Security Publication Memo¬ 
randa) contain changes to CSP publications, information con¬ 
cerning the date when certain publications will become effective, 


12 


superseded, or are to be burned. Read all CSPM carefully and 
check off in colored ink the changes which affect your ship or 
station. 

(2) CRPM {Combined Registered Publicatioyis Memoranda) 
contain changes to combined British-U. S. publications having 
such short titles as, SP, OU, CB, ASRS, AFO, BRIT8I0LET. 
You may also find changes to an RPS publication so keep a 
sharp look-out. 

(3) RPM {Registered Publication Memoranda) contain 
changes to all United States Navy publications except CSPs. 
Here are some of the publications they correct: ORD, FTP, 
ONI, V8F, HCTB, WPL, NWC, HO, WB, RP8. 

Read all C8PM, CRPM, and RPM from cover to cover im¬ 
mediately upon receipt and check off the changes to be entered 
by you. Your failure to enter a correction in time may have 



KEEPING UP TO DATE 


serious results. All changes are numbered consecutively and 
are easy to keep track of. Show the captain any CSPM or 
CRPM discussions you think would be of interest to him. 

(4) NRPM {Nonregistered Publication Memoranda) contain 
changes to nonregistered publications and “cut-out” pages. 
Changes to any publication may be sent by dispatch on “F” 
schedules, or by Basegram, in General Messages entitled ALCOM 
(call sign DATA) ; see Communication Standing Orders. These 
dispatch changes are confirmed later in CSPM, CRPM, RPM, or 
NRPM, as appropriate. 

You will enter a majority of the changes in colored 
ink (not red) in the publication concerned. Some 
CSPM and CRPM. contain “cut-out” pages at the end 
of the booklet which can be cut out and pasted in the 


SSSSSO"—44 


13 















publication. Other changes may be lengthy, in which 
case you may type them either in the publication if it 
is loose leaf, or on a sheet of white paper and paste it in 
as a flap. After you enter a change, be sure to make a 
note of the fact in the publication. In many publica¬ 
tions there is a page marked, “Record of Entry of 
Changes,” but if there is not, make the note on the cover 
or other open space. (CRPM 214/42 entered 12-16-^2, 
John J. Doe, Ens., USNR.) 

Important changes which cannot wait for the next 
edition of a OSPM^ CRPM^ or RPM may be promul¬ 
gated by dispatch in cipher over the Fox schedule. 
Changes are also sent out by letter, bulletin, or regularly 
numbered change. 

In regularly numbered changes (Change No. 1 to 
U'SF 70)^ entire pages are reprinted incorporating all 
changes to date. In this case you make a bodily substi¬ 
tution of pages in the loose-leaf publication. With 
these numbered changes you receive a “List of Effective 
Pages,” which tells you how many pages there should 
be in the revised publication, and whether a page is 
“original” or “Change No. 1.” 

Regularly numbered changes, like many registered 
publications, have “fly-leaf” receipts attached which you 
must have filled out and sent to the RPS. Fly-leaf 
receipts acknowledge receipt of a certain publication 
or change to a publication, and state that subject publi¬ 
cation’s pages have been checked against the List of 
Effective Pages and “(a) Found to agree therewith, or, 
(h) Found to agree therewith except as follows (list 
exceptions).” These changes become part of the basic 
publication and are not listed separately on quarterly 
reports or transfers after the changes have been entered, 
and fly-leaf receipts properly executed. If there are 
any missing pages, be certain to report them immedi¬ 
ately on the fly-leaf receipt form, which is signed by the 
captain. Bind the carbon copy of the fly-leaf receipt 
in the publication concerned. 


14 


Whenever your ship makes any port, go to the issuing 
office (remember your letter of authorization) and draw 
any additional publications to which you are entitled. 
Take with you your last complete inventory on KPS 1, 
and the number of the latest GSPM^ CRPM^ and RPM 
you have aboard, as well as the number of the last ship¬ 
ment memoranda. This helps the issuing officer deter¬ 
mine what publications you need and prevents him from 
giving you publications and devices you already possess. 
Many communication officers forget to take the above 
material with them, with the result that they draw 
many things they already have aboard. 

Drawing of publications in excess of authorized al¬ 
lowance is an offense worthy of a letter of admonition 
or reprimand. 

When in port for prolonged periods visit the issuing 
office at least once a week. 

Correct the more important publications first. Use 
the precedence in Communication Instructions^ lOJfJf. as 
a guide as to which publications should be corrected 
first. Obey existing instructions regarding the correc¬ 
tion of ROB material. 

Recognition signals should always he corrected before 
any oiher publications. If your recognition signals are 
uncorrected^ you may never have a chance to correct any 
other publications. 

RECOGNITION SIGNALS 

While it is not possible to discuss recognition signals 
here, it must be realized that it is of vital importance 
to keep all such signals up to date. (Recognition sig¬ 
nals are signals between allied vessels designed to estab¬ 
lish mutual identity.) 

It is a sad fact that uncorrected recognition signals 
have caused friendly vessels to fire on one another. 
Don’t let this happen to you. Correct these signals 
immediately and become thoroughly conversant with all 
systems used in the area in which your ship is operating. 


15 


Post the daily extracts from effective recognition 
signals on the bridge, if such is the current regulation. 
See that all officers standing deck watches are thor¬ 
oughly familiar with them, and with the correct chal¬ 
lenge and reply procedure. Blinker tubes and Aldis 
lamps, plus any other signalling equipment, should be 
in good order and bulb replacements handy. 

O. N. I. publications containing silhouettes of allied 
and enemy vessels should be available in the ready safe 
for use by the O. O. D. 



Instructions in regard to recognition signals must 
he observed at dll times. It is a matter of life or death 
for you and your shipmates^ as well as for your ship, 

OTHER SOURCES OF INFORMATION 

While the publications discussed so far furnish you 
with much important information, additional data is 
obtained from the following: Communication Circular 
Letters; Navy Department semimonthly bulletins (re- 


16 
















stricted and confidential); ONI Weekly; LANTFLT 
(or PACFLT) Memoranda; LANTFLT (or PAG- 
FLT) confidential letters; Gormminication Stcmding 
Orders; letters and memoranda to various units 
{DESLANT, SERYFOR, etc.) 

CODES AND CIPHERS 

You will have a number of naval codes and ciphers 
in your possession, and you are responsible for their 
proper operation whether you, or the members of the 
coding board, are doing the enciphering or deciphering. 
You must be familiar with all systems held by your 
command and be able to instruct others in their use. 

It is your responsibility to make sure that no one 
in your ship compromises any cryptographic system 
through faulty encryption, failure to follow the instruc¬ 
tions, or careless conversation. How futile for brilliant 
men to spend years devising a code or cipher only to 
have it compromised by careless and incompetent offi¬ 
cers ! This is a serious matter, and one often taken too 
lightly by officers who think the elaborate precautions 
and instructions unnecessary. 

The danger to our future operations resulting from 
the capture of our cryptographic systems cannot be 
overestimated. It is therefore necessary for you to 
have a well-organized plan for the destruction of codes 
and ciphers according to a definite precedence list. 
Bead Gommunication Instructions, and take action 
on it. Your ROB editions may be destroyed consider¬ 
ably in advance of destruction of effective systems if 
deemed necessary by appropriate authority. The de¬ 
struction bill must cover every eventuality. 

Most of the larger ships have regular coding rooms. 
See that your coding room is well ventilated, equipped 
with sufficient lighting (battle light close to the work¬ 
ing area), hooks for file boards, a safe, and an inter¬ 
communication system with radio central and other 
necessary offices. 


17 


SECURITY 

Security is something like the weather. “Everybody 
talks about it but nobody does anything about it!” 

Security is keeping classified information confined to 
the channels where it belongs, and preventing the un¬ 
authorized dissemination of classified information re¬ 
garding any phase of naval operations or mechanical 
developments. It means not talking to anyone except 
authorized individuals about publications, codes or 
ciphers, or your work. 

It is your responsibility to see that officers doing 
coding duty understand cryptographic security, that 
your radiomen understand and practice transmission 
security, and that no violations occur. Make sure all 
classified publications are stowed properly when not in 
use, and never issue a publication to an officer without 
getting him to sign a custody receipt giving the date, 
short title, and number of copies received. 

As division officer you must impress on your men the 
importance of not divulging classified information or 
other official information in bars, cafes, and restaurants. 
A few seemingly innocent remarks dropped here and 
there may be just the information an enemy agent is 
looking for! See that security in all its phases is prac¬ 
ticed aboard your ship, bearing in mind that in some 
ships space limitations make certain undesirable prac¬ 
tices necessary as a matter of expediency. 

MOVEMENT REPORTS 

Movement reports when required are covered in 
publications or operation orders issued to those who 
need to know. 

THE CODING BOARD 

The coding board is a group of officers in your ship, 
designated by the commanding officer, who operate 
cryptographic aids held by the command. The size of 
the coding board depends on the type of ship. In large 


18 


ships the coding board stands regular watches, each 
watch breaking down traffic received during its tour of 
duty. The coding room watch officer (CKWO), or 
coding room supervisor, is in charge of all traffic 
handled during his watch. 

It is your duty to instruct the members of the coding 
board in their duties. In this connection, see that every 
member of the coding board reads and understands 
Communication Instructions^ particularly chapter 
4. He must be thoroughly familiar with the current 
instructions for each crytographic aid he will need to 
use and with all CSPM’s, CKPM’s, and ^PM’s which 
pertain to his duties. 

Require the members of the coding board to keep the 
coding room neat and clean. Provide a basket marked, 
“BURN,” and see- that all work sheets are properly de¬ 
stroyed by fire and the ashes broken up. 

The coding board should be familiar with all call 
signs by which the ship might receive traffic, and should 
know the fleet and task organization in which the ship 
is included. The ship’s calls, and all calls for which 
the ship is guard, should be enciphered prior to 
0000 G. C. T. every day and posted at the radio operat¬ 
ing positions as well as in the coding room. 

In time of war, petty officers of known trustworthi¬ 
ness may be members of the coding board. The com¬ 
manding officer may place any enlisted man on coding 
duty; it is no longer necessary to write the Navy De¬ 
partment concerning the matter, and such letters are no 
longer desired. 

United States Navy Regulations, article 76 (21) (b) 
allows authorization of especially reliable P. O.’s to 
handle secret documents within any ship, yard, station 
or contiguous activities of a naval base. 

Plan the training of your coding board and instruct 
them in all possible conditions which might arise in 
your absence. 


19 


Instruct them in the routing of dispatches and make 
sure they route important messages to officers concerned 
at any hour of the day or night. Impress them with 
the need of quick action in emergency cases. 

Check all files the first thing in the morning and know 
what has happened that may affect your ship. 

You, and the coding board members, should be able 
to touch type about 35-40 words per minute. If you 
do not know how, learn! 

It is a good idea to be familiar with some of the meth¬ 
ods used by our enemies in breaking down our crypto¬ 
graphic aids and acquaint the board with these methods. 
Avoid mistakes which might prove fatal—letting the 
plain language version of an encrypted dispatch get on 
the air; improper operation of devices; stereotyped 
phraseology; unnecessary and incorrect procedure mes¬ 
sages which divulge information to the enemy. 

All officers doing communication duty should be fa¬ 
miliar with the Gommunication Standing Orders^ which 
are a supplement to Gommunication Instructions. In 
addition, they should understand the following: Cryp¬ 
to-channel charts, call sign ciphers and authentication 
systems, GSP 11^67 Series^ and the GSP H68 Series. 

ABBREVIATIONS 

A thorough knowledge of British and United States 
Navy abbreviations is of the utmost importance to all 
officers in communications. Cipher dispatches often 
contain confusing abbreviations which hinder work un¬ 
less you recognize them right away. Members of the 
coding board should study Gommunication Instructions^ 
Appendix F, GSP3I, GRPM, and RPM. 

Here are a few abbreviations—do you know them? 
BLADING, BUSANDA, CTU, FMF, FFT, PSANDT, 
CTF, POA, ADCOMD, DFT, FABU, MIO, MRS, 
NATS, NTS, PHIBTRAIN, PSP, RNV, STAG, TFC, 
USRO and SATFOR. 


20 


PARAPHRASING 

One of your duties may be paraphrasing messages. 
Paraphrasing is changing the wording and structure of 
a message without changing the meaning! 

It is surprisingly easy to alter the meaning of a dis¬ 
patch you are paraphrasing and you must guard con¬ 
stantly against such an error. Communication Instruc¬ 
tions contain instructions for paraphrasing. 

The best method of paraphrasing is to shift the sen¬ 
tence order, being careful not to use too many synonyms. 
Divide the message up into parts with light pencil 
marks, number the divisions you have made, and then 
rearrange the sequence in which the ideas in the message 
are presented, being careful to include all the numbered 
divisions. Always check the meaning of the para¬ 
phrase with that of the original message. 

DRAFTING OF MESSAGES 

Careful drafting of texts to avoid stereotyped phrase¬ 
ology, redundancy, and excessive repetition hinders en¬ 
emy cryptanalysts in their utilization of statistical 
methods of solution, which depend upon frequencies 
resulting from habitual methods of expression. 

Messages should never start with: EEQUEST AU¬ 
THORITY ... IN ACCORDANCE WITH . . . 
YOUR (reference numbers). Messages should never 
end with: COMPLY . . . DISPATCH REPLY RE¬ 
QUESTED . . . ADVISE. Read Communications 
Instructions in this connection. 

It is your responsibility to see that proper drafting 
habits are practiced by officers originating messages 
aboard your ship. Although you do not have the 
authority to change any stereotyped phraseology, you 
may go to the originator and tactfully suggest certain 
changes, explaining why they are desirable; the chances 
are he will make them. If he refuses, the message 
must be encrypted and transmitted unaltered. Ex- 


689550“—44-^^4 


21 


plain the pertinent parts of Gcommunication Instruc¬ 
tions to all officers who may have occasion to originate, 
messages. 

When it is necessary to refer to a letter in a dispatch 
use simply the originator’s title (or abbreviation) and 
the serial number of the letter and date. Do not include 
the long name-title group and subject-number group, 
they only make the dispatch unnecessarily long and 
cumbersome. Example: “KEFERENCE COMINCH 
SERIAL ZERO ONE EIGHT TWO NINE OF 
APRIL FOUR.” 



Many naval messages possess two common faults: 
they are of too high a precedence, and they are over¬ 
classified. Explain to officers why their message is over¬ 
classified—if it is—and point out that it will get to the 
addressee almost as quickly if sent routine, or even 
deferred. Explain to officers that a classification of 
secret does not mean the message goes in a more secure 
cryptographic system, but that the classification 
determines how the message is handled on receipt. 


22 






This is a point 90 percent of all originators do not 
understand: restricted cryptographic systems are 
inherently as secure as secret systems. 

WHEN THE MESSAGE “WONT BREAK!” 

Security does not permit a detailed discussion of 
what action to take if a coded dispatch addressed to 
your ship will not “break.” However, before you send 
a “service” message, such as QJM* or QMO, try all 
the “tricks” you know to make the dispatch come out. 
If this fails, you will have to resort to a service 
message. 

You must understand when to use a “J” asking for 
verification of information in the heading or text^ 
when to use QMO asking for a repeat of the message 
(used by coding board when a transmission garble is 
suspected), and when to use QJM asking for verifica¬ 
tion and repetition of encipherment. Communication 
Instructions^ chapter 4, contains detailed information 
on how to handle specific situations, and should be 
available to the coding board at all times. 

Important messages which are partially garbled 
should be routed immediately and the garbles cleared 
later. In some cases garbles can be cleared by inspec¬ 
tion on the part of officers concerned. 

INTERNAL ORGANIZATION 

Internal organization means the organization on 
board your ship for handling dispatches received by 
radio or visual, with reliability, security, and speed. 
The internal organization of each ship will differ, but 
the basic requirements remain the same; see chapter 3, 
Communication Instructions. 

Messages are addressed to your ship by placing your 
radio, visual, or task organization call sign after the 
date-time group in the heading of the message. There 

*Q signals are from “Combined Operating Signals”. 


23 



is no indication of which officer aboard is to receive the 
message for action. You, or the communication watch 
officer (CWO), must read the text of the message 
several times and decide what officer (s) would be 
interested in it. If the captain is the action officer, 
and the engineer officer and gunnery officer information 
officers, you check the C. O. as ACTION on the dis¬ 
patch blank, and the other two as INFORMATION. 

The action officer is the officer aboard your ship who 
will take action on the message. On small ships the 
C. O. is usually the action officer. 

The information officer is the officer who takes no 
direct action on the message, but who should be in¬ 
formed of the contents because it may concern him. 
(There may be two or three information officers, or 
more, depending on the situation.) 

When an incoming message makes reference to a 
previous message, have the earlier message available, 
or even clip it to the new dispatch. 

The number of copies prepared of secret and con¬ 
fidential messages is limited; see chapter 4, Communi¬ 
cation Instructions. These copies are distributed by 
messenger and the FILE copy initialed by the men 
receiving copies and returned to the code room file. 

It is a good idea to keep a file board for each officer 
aboard and clip his dispatches to it prior to routing 
and after having been returned to the code room file. 
File boards for the following will be necessary for a 
medium-sized ship: Captain, executive officer, gunnery 
officer, navigator, communication officer, first lieuten¬ 
ant, engineer officer, supply officer, medical officer, 
signal and radio officers, and general (all officers). 

The releasing officer is the officer who “releases” 
outgoing messages for transmission. On small ships 
he is usually the commanding officer, while on larger 
ships he may be the executive officer, head of a depart¬ 
ment, or other designated officer (s). If a ship is under 
radio silence no messages will be transmitted. 


24 


CENSORSHIP 

In all probability you will be concerned with censor¬ 
ship of mail aboard your ship. If you are in charge of 
the censorship board, organize it efficiently, making 
maximum use of the available personnel. You will be 
governed in the work by Censorship Regulations, U. S. 
Navy, 194^. 

WATCH STANDING AS 0. 0. D. 

Communication officers on destroyers, and most auxil¬ 
iaries, are required to stand deck watches in port and 



under way. The new officer will stand junior O. O. D. 
watches until qualified to stand a watch under way. On 
large vessels the communication officer and his assistants 
normally do not stand deck watches. 

If you are a graduate of a midshipmen’s school, do 
not forget the seamanship, navigation, and gunnery you 
learned just because you happen to be studying 
communications. 

Special service officers (D-V (S) and C-V (S) offi- 


25 





cers) should buy and study books on seamanship, navi¬ 
gation, and gunnery. Ask questions, keep notes, keep 
your eyes open, and study books that will acquaint you 
with naval ships, tactics, maneuvering, and rules of the 
road. Remember, communications is only one of the 
important cogs in the functioning of the United States 
Navy. 

Here are some good books to purchase and study: 

(1) The Bluejackets’ Manual. 

(2) Naval Leadership, with Hints to Junior 
Officers and Others. 

(3) Naval Admii/istration, Vol. 1. 

(4) The Watch Officers Guide, by Willson. 

(5) Seamanship, by Knight. 

(6) U. S. Navy Regulations, 1920. 

(7) The Naval Officer’s Guide, by Age ton. 


26 


THE 



The radio officer must organize and supervise radio 
communication personnel to insure accurate, secure, and 
rapid handling of radio communications, arrange for 
guarding all required frequencies, see that transmitters 
and receivers are kept in adjustment, and inspect circuit 
logs and files. He must know radio and sound proce¬ 
dure, and prepare the watch, quarter, and station bill 
for radio personnel. The detailed duties and responsi¬ 
bilities of a ship’s radio officer are given in Communica¬ 
tion Instructions^ 191^. 

The radio supervisor is in direct charge of radio 
central, and on large ships he is usually a chief radio¬ 
man. 

If you are called upon to serve as radio officer aboard 
your ship, see that watches are fair to your men. See, 
too, that a good operator is ready to “back-up” an in¬ 
experienced man on an important message. Leave 
orders to call you if something unusual arises. 

Do not forget to post all enciphered calls which might 
concern your ship for each 24-hour period; these enci¬ 
phered calls and their translations should be tacked 
right beside the operating positions. Aboard ship the 
radiomen usually operate the call-sign cipher, and if 
this is the case in your ship, see that they post the 
necessary calls. 

Have periodic check-ups made to insure that all trans¬ 
mitters are accurately calibrated. Do not use one 
transmitter all the time, distribute your load as much as 
possible and keep all rigs in working condition. In 
addition to transmitters, receivers and frequency meters 
should be calibrated frequently. 


27 


FREQUENCIES-CALIBRATION OF TRANSIVlITTERS ANC 
RECEIVERS 

Due to security and other factors it is impossible to 
list accurately the frequencies with which you will be 
concerned and on which you must calibrate your trans¬ 
mitters and receivers. Consult USF 70A ^ paragraph 
2323, appropriate Fleet' Regulations^ and Communica¬ 
tion Instructions^ Appendix I, for specific informa¬ 
tion. The following frequencies are listed to help you 
get started: 

(1) 2716 he. is the naval calling frequency but today 
it is used only in case of extreme emergency. The OTC 
generally maintains a listening watch on 2716 kc. 

(2) 375 kc. is the D/F frequency; used very little 
today. 

(3) 600 kc. is the distress and commercial calling fre¬ 
quency. It must be guarded by every detachment at 
sea. Guard ships will be designated by the OTC. 

(4) 2000 kc. hand may be used as an intra-unit emer¬ 
gency circuit and in case of low visibility and separa¬ 
tion ; specific frequencies in this band will be designated 
by the OTC. Area freguencies also lie in this band, 
and should be guarded by one ship in a detachment when 
within waters having an area frequency. 

(5) 3000 kc. is the “scene of action” frequency. A 
loudspeaker on the bridge is usually cut in on this fre¬ 
quency when appropriate. Your attention is invited 
to Communication Instructions., 191^1^., Appendix I, 
Article 141. 

(6) 1^35 kc. NERK series is the primary ship-shore 
circuit. A continuous watch need not be maintained 
(unless so ordered), but equipment should be calibrated 
and ready for use on these frequencies. These frequen¬ 
cies are to be used only for ship-shore traffic. 

If you have a message that is to be placed on the shore 
communication system, and plan to use one of the fre¬ 
quencies in the 4235 kc. NEKK series, do not invariably 


28 


call a specific shore radio station. If any difiiculty is 
experienced in raising a particular shore station, use 
the call sign NQO (Any or All Naval Shore Radio 
Stations) in preference to the call of a specific station. 
The use of NQO eliminates the possibility that if any 
particular shore station is busy at the time you call, or 
cannot hear you due to skip distance, your ship will 
call and receive no answer. Send your traffic to any 
shore station which answers your call and have him 
place the message on the shore communication system. 

(7) 60-80 me. Frequencies in this range are used for 
Inter-Unit Emergency Maneuvering circuits with 
TBS or TBY equipment. Transmitters and receivers 
should be calibrated on all VHF bands which might be 
used. 

In connection with frequencies, their characteristics 
and ranges, your attention is invited to appendix B of 
this publication. 

TRAINING 

Many radiomen going to the fleet today are recent 
graduates of radio schools and cannot be considered 
experienced operators. Organize a school for further 
training in code, procedure, and material. A few weeks 
of carefully planned training should make most of 
these men dependable operators capable of holding 
down a circuit. 

RADIO PROCEDURE 

You must have a thorough knowledge of radio pro¬ 
cedure as explained in Communication Instr-uctions., 
19U., chapter 6, Be familiar with commonly used oper¬ 
ating signals (“Q” signals) and naval radio organiza¬ 
tion-fleet frequency plans, OPLANS.^ USF 70A.^ Com¬ 
munication Instructions., Appendix I, and the pertinent 
LANTFLT or PACFLT publications. 

It may never be necessary for you to draft a heading 
for an outgoing dispatch, but your men respect you 


589550 *— 44 - 


■5 


29 



more if they know that you kno^f how to do it. Every 
officer in communications should be an expert at drafting 
all types of messages. 

See that your radiomen place an “operator’s service” 
on all messages transmitted and received. The service 
should include the following data: (1) Ship or station 
received from or sent to; (2) Time of receipt (TOR), 
or time of delivery (TOD); (3) Method (frequency, 
semaphore, blinker, etc); (4) Initials or sign of the 
operator handling the transmission. 



LEARN RADIO PROCEDURE - DON'T 6E A WALLFLOWER? 

Your duties do not require you to operate a radio 
circuit, but it is a fine thing if you can. Learn the code 
and bring your speed up to about 25 words per minute. 
Here again, your men will think more of you if you 
know their job as well as your own. Plug in on the Fox 
schedule and increase your speed. 

The routing of plain English traffic to the various 
officers is a function of the radio supervisor under the 
supervision of the communication watch officer. If you 
are CWO, make sure all such traffic is routed correctly. 
(Coded dispatches are usually routed by the members 


30 








of the coding board or the coding room watch officer.) 

Radio-telephone communication is important, partic¬ 
ularly in convoys and on smaller ships. Know radio¬ 
telephone procedure as described in Communication 
Instructions^ make sure unauthorized transmissions do 
not take place. 

If you are attached to a naval air station or an air¬ 
craft carrier, radio-telephone is of tremendous impor¬ 
tance. Your organization should provide for quick 
action in decoding messages, and rapid designation of 
action officers. Only alert, intelligent radiomen should 
be called upon to man these ’phone circuits—when 
things start happening it is no time to have a man turn 
with a blank look on his face and ask, “What do I do 
now?” 

Keep the use of voice circuits to a minimum, and 
observe strict precautions that no information of poten¬ 
tial value to the enemy is transmitted. When sending 
signals from CSP 950 or GSP 73^^ encode them in the 
effective edition of the Signal Cipher. 

Arrange for a “cease talking” signal for R/T cir¬ 
cuits ; the blowing of a whistle or some type of variable 
pitch tone may be used successfully. Be sure the radio¬ 
man keeps a log of all important transmissions. 

Temporary call signs are often used on voice circuits 
within a unit only. Such calls consist of the names of 
objects which can be clearly understood; example: 
CHICKEN, SUPERMAN, LOLLYPOP. A call using 
these call signs would be: “SUPERMAN THIS IS 
LOLLYPOP OVER!” 

UNDERWATER SOUND 

Underwater sound equipment will also be under your 
supervision as radio officer. Destroyers, some sub¬ 
marines and other vessels, have supersonic “echo-rang- 
ing” gear which permits them to follow the movements 
(track) of enemy submarines. The sound equipment 
sends out a pulsing signal which bounces back when it 


31 


strikes an object. Knowledge of the speed of the sig¬ 
nal through water at a certain temperature permits 
determination of the range of the object. 

The sound operator, knowing the range, determines 
the bearings of the object and reports his findings to 
the appropriate officer who takes offensive action. 

Underwater sound gear is used not only for track¬ 
ing, but also for listening for propeller sounds, and for 
communicating with friendly vessels. 

Study your supersonic equipment and learn how to 
operate it. The Sound Operators Handbook^ published 
by the West Coast Sound School, San Diego, Califor¬ 
nia, 1942 edition, is an excellent source of information 
on this interesting subject. 

RADIO DIRECTION FINDING 

Radio direction finding is an important aid to naviga¬ 
tion and you will have D/F equipment aboard. You 
should understand the principles of D/F, the difference 
between a beacon station and a D/F station, and cali¬ 
bration procedure. Be familiar with HO 205 and HO 
206 and look up current communications regarding 
beacon operation. 

A radio beacon station sends out a signal containing 
an identifying letter at certain specified times and the 
ship takes the bearing. Bearings on three or more 
beacon stations permit the ship to determine its ap¬ 
proximate position. 

Radio direction -finder stations take bearings on a 
transmitting ship or aircraft and send the result in 
the D/F code. (Be sure you understand how to operate 
the “garble table.”) D/F stations track enemy units 
during war, i. e., follow their movements by taking suc¬ 
cessive bearings and plotting them on a master chart. 

Learn how to take bearings yourself. Do not be 
afraid to ask a radioman about points you do not under¬ 
stand. It may be necessary for you to man the D/F in 
an emergency. 


32 


Bureau of Ships Manual, chapter 67 (M. E. I. chapter 
30), contains information on D/F calibration and opera¬ 
tion. Read CSP 11^9 (^), bring it to the attention 
of your commanding officer; familiarize yourself with 
enemy frequencies, and be on your toes. (See CB 4002 
series and various fleet letters.) 

CONTACT AND AMPLIFYING REPORTS 

For information on Contact and Amplifying Reports 
see Communication Instructions^ USF 70A^ and appro¬ 
priate LANTFLT or PACFLT publications. Know 
what frequency to use in sending these reports and to 
whom to send them. 

RADIO THEORY 

It is not'essential that you understand complicated 
radio theory but it is an excellent idea to know enough 
so you feel at home with transmitters and receivers, and 
can be of assistance in an emergency. 

Buy a good book on technical radio written for be¬ 
ginners and study it. As radio officer, you should 
understand the characteristics and ranges of different 
frequencies, skip distance, harmonics (series), and ele¬ 
mentary transmitter and receiver operation. Under¬ 
standing Radio^ by Watson, Welch and Eby, is a good 
elementary book, while The Radio Amateurs Hardhooh 
is better for the more advanced students. 

CARELESS RADIO OPERATION 

Careless, unauthorized radio operation endangers 
your ship. Enemy D/F stations may take bearings, 
obtain valuable information on your supposedly secret 
location, and take action. Your radiomen must under¬ 
stand and practice transmission security. 

Tune transmitters before weighing anchor and not 
just prior to reaching your objective. Radio silence, 
when prescribed, must be strictly maintained. The only 


2958 


33 




person who can authorize breaking radio silence in your 
ship is the commanding officer. (See USF 70A.) 

Read Communication Instructions for a complete 
discussion of transmission security; bring it to the 
attention of your radiomen. A knowledge of radio 
procedure is essential if you are to understand this 
reference. Read also CNO Security Bulletins. 

Encrypted call signs can be compromised by radio 
men who have pronounced personal sending character¬ 
istics—“swing.” Discourage “swing” and make 
offending operators practice on an audio oscillator and 
eliminate it. 

DISTRESS CALLS ON 500 KC. 

500 kc. is the International distress frequency, and 
today many distress signals are being transmitted on 
this frequency by merchant vessels. Great care must 
be taken to make certain the call is legitimate, and not 
a fake sent by the enemy to lure naval vessels to the 
position. 

The distress frequency must be guarded (listened in 
on) during the two silent periods each hour, unless it 
is being guarded continuously. {See Communication 
Instructions^ chapter 6.) The silent periods are 3 min¬ 
utes in duration, from X: 15 to X: 18, and from X: 45 
to X: 48, each hour. 

Communication Instructions for Merchant Ships 
{CIMS-i2) (or Wartime Instructions for Merchant 
Ships, WIMS-1, WIMS-2, and WIMS-3, when ef¬ 
fective) gives radio procedure for use by United States 
Merchant Vessels. Read CIMS-J^2 (or WIMS-1, 
WIMS-2 or WIMS-3 when effective) and become famil¬ 
iar with the signals in it. 

ADVANCEMENT IN RATING 

Everyone wants to go up in the world—an ensign 
wants to be a “jg” and the captain wants to be an ad¬ 
miral. Your radiomen want to advance too, and it is 


34 


part of your job to see they are supplied with the proper 
BuPers training courses to study. This applies to sig¬ 
nalmen if you are signal officer, and to yeomen if you 
are ship’s secretary. 

Encourage “strikers” to study for their “crows” and 
radiomen to study for advancement. It means more 
money for them and a healthy mental condition. If 
you have men who are officer material, try to get them 
commissioned. The Navy needs good officers and there 
are a number of enlisted men who fulfill the require¬ 
ments. If you expect your enlisted men to work for 
you, you have to go to bat for them. 

FILES 

Required files are explained in Communication In¬ 
structions. The radio station file contains copies of all 
messages sent, received, and relayed by radio telegraph. 
Inspect the radio file and the circuit logs at frequent in¬ 
tervals and know what is happening. 

Messages should be filed by the most convenient sys¬ 
tem for your ship and its internal organization. This 
is normally by date-time group in the heading of the 
message, with outgoing and incoming messages in differ¬ 
ent files. This makes it easy to pick out a dispatch if 
the originator, at a later date, says MYDIS 081111. 
You would look in the incoming file under the eighth 
day of the current month and locate the dispatch with 
those reference numbers. For intra-Navy use, the zone 
suffix letter Z is omitted if time is GOT. 

Separate files are kept for general messages 
(ALNAV, NAVOP, USFLEET, etc.), and for Fox 
schedule messages. Fox schedule messages should be 
filed in order of station serial number, making it easy 
to locate a particular dispatch if you send or receive a 
QHB 1 or QHB 2. 

Keep all files in good order so you can lay your hands 
on a dispatch at a moment’s notice. If you have a tacti¬ 
cal file of your organization which shows what action 


35 


is taking place, have it conveniently indexed according 
to a definite system, and not some haywire system of 
your own. 

A radio officer’s work is alive and interesting. Work 
at your job, learn the radio code, study the important 
material in the field, show your men that you are 
interested in radio and in tkem. Be a leader—show by 
doing! Do not loaf around and work only hard enough 
to get by—grab your job with both hands and master it! 


36 


THE 

SlSHUL OFFICER 

The duties of the ship’s signal officer are set forth 
in Communication iTistructions and are similar to those 
of the radio officer except that the signal officer is deal¬ 
ing with a different medium of communication. 

SIGNAL ORGANIZATION 

The signal officer is in charge of all visual communi¬ 
cation personnel and must see that they are proficient 
in procedure and in the operation of the different 
visual signalling devices. If you are signal officer be 
sure that your signalmen are alert for all signal lights 
and the recognition signals effective during their watch. 

You are responsible for the training of signalmen 
and must see that BuPers training courses are avail¬ 
able. 

In most ships a chief signalman is under the signal 
officer, and the signalmen and strikers under the chief. 
Chief quartermasters are also proficient in visual sig¬ 
nals. These chief petty officers can be of great help to 
an inexperienced signal officer; do not be afraid to ask 
them questions about things you do not understand. 

FLAG HOIST 

As signal officer you should be able to read all the flags 
and pennants and be proficient in the use of the Signal 
Books and the U. S, Navy Yisual Gall Book, 

Learning to flip the pages of the General Signal 
Book quickly to the correct signal takes time; practice 
until you attain both' accuracy and speed. The Visual 
Call Sign Book is more complicated than The Radio 


37 


Call jSign Booh^ but once you understand the basic calls 
and the systems for generating compound calls—partic¬ 
ularly task organization calls—their interpretation 
becomes a matter of seconds. 

Learn the use of such Navy flags and pennants as: 
CORPEN, TURN, DEPLOY, ANS, FORM. Be 
familiar with the governing flags and their meanings. 



Flag hoist is one of the most important methods of 
visual signalling and to understand it thoroughly you 
must be familiar with tactical movements of ships, 
changes of course, lines of relative bearing, time and 
types of routine reports, such as position reports and 
noon fuel reports. 

You should be able to stand on the bridge and read 
a flag hoist, interpret the call and be looking up the 


S3 











signal when the message comes from the signal bridge. 
Familiarize yourself with all calls for the organization 
of which your ship is a part, and with the effective 
Signal Cipher, 

Mersigs,, Volume I {BR 637) (or Wartime Instruc¬ 
tions for Merchant Ships, WIMS-1, WIMS-2, and 
WIMS-3 when effective) is important if you are acting 
as a convoy escort vessel. The International Code of 
SignalsVolume /, is used for communicating with mer¬ 
chant ships of any nationality. 

FLASHING LIGHT 

Flashing light is another important means of visual 
communication, and you should be able to read it from 
yardarm blinkers, searchlight, or blinker tube, at a 
speed of 10-15 words per minute. It is a comfortable 
feeling not to have to wait for a signalman to inform 
you what is happening. Kead it yourself. 

Accuracy, not speed, is important in flashing light. 
Do not let any of your signalmen “burn up” the other 
fellow just to show how fast he can send. • Fast, 
sloppy sending makes for repeats and wastes time. 

Blinker tube and Aldis lamp communication is 
especially important today and is used to transmit 
and answer recognition signals. These directional 
systems afford greater security than yardarm blinker 
or large signal searchlight because the light beam is 
directed toward a specific objective. In both cases, a 
trigger instead of a telegraph key is used to form the 
characters of the International Morse Code. 

Semaphore and flashing light procedure is so similar 
that semaphore can be used by a ship receiving a DFL 
(direct flashing light) transmission. This may be 
necessary at times during daylight for ships which do 
not have enough signal searchlights to accomplish 
automatic relays. (See Communication Instructions.) 


39 


SEMAPHORE 

Although not as important as flag hoist or flashing 
light, semaphore is used a good deal and you should 
be able to read it about 15-18 words per minute. Here 
again, you can copy a message yourself and perhaps 
catch an error a signalman might let slip through. 



As signal officer, you have an excellent opportunity 
to become proficient in signals and tactics; take advan¬ 
tage of it. 

VISUAL PROCEDURE 

A knowledge of visual signalling procedure is essen¬ 
tial. It is somewhat similar to radio procedure but 
simpler. Communication Instructions^ 19^.^ chapter 7, 
discusses visual procedure and other important material, 
such as miscellaneous visual and sound signals. 


40 




VISUAL FILE 

A visual station file is kept of all incoming, outgo¬ 
ing, and relayed messages. This file should be kept 
neat, orderly, and up to date. A visual log book also is 
kept and is similar to the radio log. Inspect both files 
and logs often. 

DRILLS 

One of your most important duties is the drilling of 
your signal gang to increase their knowledge, accuracy, 
and speed. Signal competitions are fine for keeping 
up interest when time lags. . 

Drill your signal force not only in Navy signals, but 
in signals from the Internatiorial Code of Signals^ 
Voluwye /, for communication with merchant vessels, 
and in Mersigs^ Volume /, {BR 637) (or WIMS when 
effective) for convoy communications. Drill in these 
publications should embrace flag hoist, flashing light, 
and semaphore. 

Develop a smart signal gang and show them you are 
interested in them and that you know what is going 
on. Try to be as good or better than they are. Then, 
and only then, will you get the most out of them. 


41 




The ship’s secretary is responsible for the care and 
routing of all ship’s correspondence, for the stowage 
and custody of secret and confidential matter issued 
him, and for the operation and maintenance of material 
used in connection therewith. He shall keep informed 
of the progress of correspondence from officer to officer, 
and maintain a follow-up system (tickler file) to insure 
that letters and other routed material are returned to 
the captain’s office within a reasonable length of time. 
Communication Instructions list the duties of the ship’s 
secretary. 

The administration of the postal service is under the 
CNO (DNC). A confidential mail address list is issued 
to all ships and stations (with frequent changes). The 
latest list is contained in CNO confidential letter, sub¬ 
ject: “Mail Addresses for Classified Bases and Organi¬ 
zations Located at Classified Bases,” which is printed in 
the Navy Department Confidential Bulletin. 

CORRESPONDENCE AND FILING 

U. S, Navy Regulations^ 1920^ chapter 52, contains 
a discussion of Navy correspondence. If you are serving 
as ship’s secretary, you should be familiar with the 
chain-of-command, particularly as it concerns your 
organization. 

The Formulation of Directives is another publication 
with which you should be familiar; it outlines the form 
to be used in operation plans, operating orders, and 
dispatch order forms. The full title of this publication 
is, Sound Military Decision^ Including the Estimate of 


43 


the Situation and the Formulation of Directives^ pub¬ 
lished by the Naval War College, Newport, R. I. 

The U. S. Navy Filing Manual gives you instructions 
for the filing of official correspondence and lists file des¬ 
ignations for all subjects. See that your yeomen follow 
the system set up in this publication. 

The Mechanics of Navy Correspondence^ published 
by the Gregg Publishing Co., New York, N. Y., is an 
extremely useful booklet on that subject. 

MAIL LOG 

As ship’s secretary you will keep the classified and 
registered mail logs. All such mail must be logged in 
and out, and your log should make provision for enter¬ 
ing the following information: classification, date 
mailed, date received, file number, registered num¬ 
ber, subject, from-, to -, via 

_, remarks, and ship’s serial number. 

Classified mail shall be accorded stowage and han¬ 
dling as required by U. S. Navy Regulations^ 1920^ 
article 76, which contains a definition of secret, confi¬ 
dential and restricted matter. 

NAVY MAIL CLERKS 

Navy mail clerks who handle mail aboard ship are 
enlisted men of regular Navy ratings or nonrated men 
nominated by their commanding officer, and so desig¬ 
nated by the Post Office Department. Navy mail clerks 
of specialist (M) ratings, including WAVES, serve 
only on shore stations, and the WAVES only in con^ 
tinental United States. Mail clerks sell stamps, make 
up and dispatch mail, and receive and open all pouches 
addressed to the ship, in addition to delivering mail and 
performing other postal duties. Each mail clerk and 
assistant mail clerk takes an oath of office and is bonded 
for a sum of not less than $1,000. 

The mail clerk receives necessary equipment from 
postal authorities. He will maintain a sufficient stock 


44 





of required items, requisitioning them as need indicates. 
All postal equipment, except empty mail bags, will be 
stowed in the post office safe. 

The following are to be read carefully and followed 
in the operation of the ship’s post office; the communi¬ 
cation officer will make the checks and inspections 
required: 

(1) Instructions for the Guidance of Navy Mail 
Clerks and Assistant Navy Mail Clerks^ issued by the 
Postmaster General, Washington, D. C. 

(2) Bureau of Naval Personnel Manual^ articles 
D-5305 to D-5311. 

(3) U. S. Navy Regulations^ 1920^ chapter 53. 

(4) Other orders and instructions issued by com¬ 
petent authority. 

Kemember that mail from home is good for morale. 
Organize the ship’s postal system efficiently and take 
every step to see that mail is forwarded to your ship by 
the postal authorities; notify all hands’ when the mail 
will close so those who wish can write a letter home. 

^ ^ ^ 

Bear in mind that you may be assigned to a small 
vessel as communication officer and be prepared to per¬ 
form all the duties discussed in this booklet and the 
references. Or, you may be the signal officer, or assist¬ 
ant radio officer, or just a member of the coding board 
and CWO on a large ship. Whatever task you are 
assigned upon reporting aboard, throw yourself into it 
with all the energy and ability you possess. 

Develop skill in the practical as well as the adminis¬ 
trative aspects of your job. Your men will respect you 
more and work harder if they know you can do what 
they are doing. Do not tell everyone how much you 
know, show them by your handling of specific situations. 

Technical knowledge and practical proficiency are not 
worth much if you cannot get along with your fellow 
men. Learn their names, treat them fairly, help them 


45 


study for advancement, and do not let the state of your 
liver influence your attitude toward them. Reward a 
job well done with a word of commendation. Be de¬ 
pendable, be strong, be sincere —he a leader. 

Remember, we are all learning every day of every 
year; never think you know all there is to know. Say 
little but keep your eyes and ears open. If you make a 
mistake, admit it, but do not make the same mistake 
twice. When you are given an order, carry it out 
quickly and accurately. One of the finest things a 
senior officer can say about you is, is de'pendahle.'^'* 

In emergency situations, DO SOMETHING. Do 
not sit around and wait for your senior officer—it may 
be too late. Initiative and common sense are important 
in the Navy. 

“Aim at success but never think you have achieved 
it!” 


46 


APPENDICES 

APPENDIX A 

SIMPLIFIED NAVAL RADIO W/T PROCEDURE 

The heading of a naval message is important because 
it tells the originator of the message and to whom it is 
addressed. It tells whether the message is urgent, oper¬ 
ational priority, priority, routine, or deferred, and it 
tells the radioman how to route the message to the ad¬ 
dressees. At first glance, the heading of a naval mes¬ 
sage appears to be a confused jumble of letters and 
numbers, but after you learn the meaning of the letters 
and numbers, it makes sense. 

A message will never get to the addressees if the head¬ 
ing is copied incorrectly; impress this on your radio¬ 
men. On the fleet broadcast schedule (the Fox schedule) 
each group in the heading is sent twice to make sure 
that operators copy it correctly. 

There are two naval forms in use today: 

(I) Plaindress. In plaindress messages the address 
(originator and addressees) appears in the heading. 
There are four types of plaindress messages: 

(a) Normal. 

{b) Modified—normal. 

(c) Abbreviated. 

(d) Modified—abbreviated. 

(II) CoDRESS. The heading of a codress message 
contains only such data as are necessary to effect the par¬ 
ticular transmission in question. The only call signs 
in the heading, after the call, belong to those activities 
who are to break down the cipher text of the message 
as it appears on a particular schedule. (Note. —See 
Communication Standing Order No. 6A.) 


47 


PLAIN DRESS MESSAGES 

Because plaindress messages are more difficult to un¬ 
derstand, let’s take them up first. A plaindress message 
is composed of the following parts: 

(1) The call. 

(2) Preamble. 

(3) Address. 

(4) Message instructions. 

(5) Text. 

(6) Message ending. 

This sounds complicated, so let’s examine each part 
and see what it does and what it contains. 

(1) The Call. If there is a group of people stand¬ 
ing around watching you trying to start your car, and 
you want Bill Jones to help you, you say, “Hey, Bill 
Jones, come here and give me a hand!” Everyone hears 
you, but Bill Jones knows you are calling him. It is 
the same in naval radio; the call tells who is calling 
whom, only instead of using a man’s name in the call, 
you use a radio call sign. Thus, NSS is the call sign 
for Radio Washington, NAH for Radio New York, 
NAD for Radio Boston. 

Many times there are a number of stations operating 
on the same frequency and you must make sure the 
call is sent accurately and distinctly to avoid confu¬ 
sion. Here is an example of a preliminary call: 

NSS V NAH K 

The prosign “V” means “from” or “calling.” In the 
above example. Radio New York (NAH) is calling 
Radio Washington (NSS). He says, in effect, “Hey, 
NSS, this is NAH calling you!” Or, “NSS from NAH, 
answer!” The prosign “K” means “Go ahead, trans¬ 
mit” 

Let’s take a minute and see how naval call signs are 
assigned. 

Naval shore radio stations are assigned three-letter 


48 


call signs starting with the letter “N”—NSS, NAH, 
NAD, NPM, NSC. 

Naval ships are assigned four-letter call signs starting 
with “N”—NIDN, NADV, NITR, NICS. 

Collective and command call signs are letter-numeral- 
letter, letter-letter-numeral-letter, or four-letter pro¬ 
nounceable in formation, such as D4G, AB2B or CHOW. 
A collective call sign is one which calls a group of 
ships—M8Q is the collective call sign for SUBDIV 14 
which might be composed of three submarines. A com¬ 
mand call calls for the commander of a group of ships 
or fleet division—F6G is the call sign for COMSUBDIV 
14. The only way you can tell whether a letter-numeral- 
letter call sign is collective or command in meaning is 
to look it up in the U, S. Navy Radio Call Sign Booh. 
If CDD 65 (Commander Destroyer Division 65) is em¬ 
barked in your ship, you must know his call sign and 
receive traffic addressed to him. 

Naval shore activities, such as commandants of naval 
districts, navy yards, and. bureaus in Washington, D. C., 
are assigned call signs but these call signs are not radio 
calls in spite of the fact they are used in the headings 
of radio messages. Such call signs are four-letter pro¬ 
nounceable words which do not start with the letter “N.” 
The call sign for the CNO is MUSK, the call sign for 
BuDocks is FKOG. 

Because these are not radio calls, you can n^ver send 
a call like this on a radio circuit: MUSK V NAH K. 
You must call the radio station which is guard (sends 
and receives traffic) for MUSK, which is NSS (Radio 
Washington), and indicate in the address of the mes¬ 
sage that the message is to be delivered to MUSK. 

In teletype communication, however, it is proper to 
send the pronounceable call of the shore activity if that 
activity has a teletype room and receives traffic direct 
without going through the radio guard station’s wire 
room. Example: ABIR V NAD, is proper because 
COMEASTSEAFRON (ABIR) has a teletype room 


49 


and sends and receives his own traffic. This call would 
be incorrect if sent by radio; NAD would then have to 
call NAH, the radio station which is guard for CESF. 

“Combination” call signs are a little more complicated, 
but not at all difficult. There is a call sign for “Inspector 

of Naval Material at_”, which is BIDE. There 

are also geographical call signs; the call for New York, 
N. Y., is BELT. Therefore, the call for “Inspector 
of Naval Material at New York, N. Y.” would be BIDE 
BELT—a “combination” call sign. 

Shore activities which have teletype machines of 
their own are normally assigned two-letter call signs 
such as “PD”. Here is a typical teletype call: “PD V 
KJ P144 ...” 

The U. S. Navy Radio Gall Sign Booh contains full 
details on the various types of call signs and their use. 
You will find it convenient to place tab markers on 
certain pages to indicate clearly the different sections 
of the book. You must also understand all types of 
visual calls as listed in the U, S. Navy Visual Gall Sign 
Booh; pay particular attention to the generation of 
task call signs. SP 02378 lists combined British-U. S. 
Kadio Call Signs. Be sure you know all call signs 
assigned your ship and the unit of which she is a part! 

Today most call signs are cryptographed in the 
effective call sign cipher. 

(2) The Preamble. The preamble may contain 
one or more of the following three items: 

{a) Station serial numhers are used on certain mes¬ 
sages to assist the receiving station in ascertaining 
whether it has received all messages sent to it by a 
particular transmitting station. Shore stations usually 
use a separate series of numbers for each shore station 
communicated with during the month. The first mes¬ 
sage to each shore station monthly after 0000 of the 
first day of the month (GCT) is numbered one, and 
the succeeding messages to the same shore station are 


50 



numbered consecutively until the following month, after 
which a new series starts again. 

Station serial numbers on the Fox schedule .begin at 
1 and run for a month in most cases, after which a new 
series begins. Ships normally do not use serial num¬ 
bers; look up current regulations regarding use of 
station serial numbers. Example: NSS sends NBA his 
twenty-third message of the day: 

NBA V NSS NR23 ... 

(b) Precedence is indicated in the Preamble im¬ 
mediately following the station serial number (if any). 
Precedence prescribes the order in which messages are 
to be handled; there are five classes of precedence in 
the United States Navy: 

O Urgent. 

OP Operational Priority. 

P Priority. 

B* Routine. 

D Deferred. 

Example: NSS sends NBA his twenty-fourth mes¬ 
sage of the day which is Operational Priority to all 
addressees: 

NBA V NSS NR24 - OP - . . . 

(Note.— The separative sign, transmitted “II,” re¬ 
corded as a dash (-) is used to set off prosigns which 
might otherwise be confusing to the receiving operator. 
Notice its uses in the examples which follow.) 

A message does not have to be the same precedence 
to all addressees; it might be OP to one addressee and P 
to the others. This is what is meant by dual precedence. 
In such cases, both precedence prosigns will appear in 
the Preamble but only one will have call signs following 
it; this precedence prosign will be the one which applies 

•Prosign “R” is used only in dual precedence messages. 


51 



to the smaller number of addressees. The remaining 
prosign applies to all other addressees. 

Example: NSS sends his twenty-fifth message of the 
month to NBA. It is Operational Priority to M3G and 
P9K, and Priority to A4D, J4Q, L8C, and PLUG (all 
these call signs are included in the address, as you will 
see shortly): 

NBA V NSS NR25 - OP - MSG P9K - P -... 

Here, OP applies to the call signs following it. The P 
applies to the rest of the addressees. 

{c) Transmission Instructions are the last item in 
the Preamble and consist of instructions from operator 
to operator on how to deliver the message to addressees. 
Transmission instructions may contain the following 
prosigns: 

F—Do not answer. 

G—Repeat this transmission back to me. 

T—(alone)—Station called transmit this message 
to all addressees. 

Operating Signals—Three-letter signals starting 
with “Q” Avhich convey standard information in 
condensed form. 

N—Exempted. 

Example: NSS sends NWP his fourth message of the 
month. It is deferred to all addressees. NWP is to 
transmit to all addressees. 

NWP V NSS NR4 - D - T - ... 

Example: NSS sends NAU his forty-fifth message of 
the month, priority to all addresses. The message is 
action to SUBDIV 14 (M8Q) info COMSUBSLANT 
(D8U). NAU is told to transmit to M8Q less NIGS. 
Delivery has been made to D8U and NIGS by other 
means: 

NAU V NSS NR45 - P - T - M8Q - N - NICS - A - NSS 
162030 M8Q ^ W - D8U - GR15 BT 


52 


See Communication Instructions for further examples 
of data in transmission instructions. 

(3) The Address. The address is the most impor¬ 
tant part of the heading. If it is garbled an important 
message may never reach its destination, and an engage¬ 
ment with the enemy may be lost. The address must 
be copied correctly. 

The prosign “A” always starts the address of a mes¬ 
sage except when the call serves as the address. “A” 
means, “The originator of this message follows.” If 
a message originates with BuPers (STAR) it would 
look like this: 

NERK V NSS NR6-D-A-STAR ... 

Naval messages, with a few exceptions, have a “date- 
time” group. Of reference numbers, immediately follow¬ 
ing the call sign of the originator. This date-time 
group shows the date and time of origin. The first two 
numerals are the date (dates 1-9 are prefixed by 0), and 
the last four the time in GCT. In “joint” (U. S. Army- 
Navy) and “combined” (United States-Allied Nations) 
communications, the time is followed by a zone suffix 
letter; see G omifminication Instructions and SP 
02S76{2). 

241534 means the twenty-fourth day of the current 
month, and the time of origin is 1534 (GCT). Because 
the time in Greenwich, England, is 4 hours ahead of our 
time (EWT) at New York, N. Y., we subtract 4 hours 
from 1534 to find local time. In this case it would be 
1134Q (plus 4). 

Immediately after the date-time group come the call 
signs of the action and information addressees. Call 
signs which follow prosign “W” are information 
addressees. 

Example: Opnav (MUSK) originates a message, 
action to USS Texas (NADV) and information to USS 
New York (NADT). It is being transmitted on the 
NSS “F” schedule: 


53 


NERK V NSS NR7-A-MUSK 150039 NADV-W- 
NADT 

The prosign “N” may be used in the address to exempt 
one ship from a collective call sign in which she is 
included. 

Example: Opnav (MUSK) originates a message, 
action to COMSUBSLANT (DIN), and information to 
SUBDIV 14 (M8Q) less USS Bonita (NICS): 

NERK V NSS NR889-P-A MUSK 081111 DIN-W- 
M8Q-N-NICS 

The above message is being sent on the NSS “F” 
schedule which all addressees are copying at sea. A 
message once transmitted on a regular “F” method 
schedule is considered delivered to all addressees re¬ 
quired to copy the schedule. 

Neither the 'precedence nor the address may be altered 
by relaying stations. 

(4) Message Instructions. Message instructions 
precede the text and may contain appropriate Operat¬ 
ing Signals (“Q” signals), the group count, and the 
“long break” (BT). 

Example: Cominch (S4G) originates a message, 
action to USS New York (NADT) and information 
to USS Arkansas (NACT). Both addresses are to 
inform Cominch when they receive the message (QHR 
is an Operating Signal from CGBP 2) ; the group 
count is 78: 

NERK V NSS NR890 - A - S4G 091212 NADT - W - 
NACT QHR GR 78 M’ . . . 

The Message Instructions are fixed by the originator 
and may not be altered by others. 

(5) The Text. Texts are drafted by officers aboard 
your ship and during war are usually cryptographed. 

Operators should take particular care in sending and 
receiving coded texts; bad garbles occur if sending or 
receiving is careless and sloppy. In cipher messages 
make sure the radioman copies the firsit two groups 


54 


and the last two groups with 100 percent accuracy. 
The groups which follow are important, but particular 
care should be taken with the first and last two groups 
of a message. Radiomen know that usually the first 
and last groups and second and next to last groups of a 
ciphered message are the same, and if they copy the 
indicators wrong at the beginning, some men copy 
them wrong at the end to make their reception look 
correct. Watch out for this; tell your radiomen to 
copy exactly what they hear even if the groups are 
different from what they would expect! 

Here is an example of a message up through the text: 

NERK V NSS NR999 - P - A - MUSK 041103 NADV 
NEQJ - W - NISS QHR GR 19 BT BASAJ DQTUE 
XCRRU PKUFK WZSZA JNTUY YRPEK DWXDK 
PDKTK WSSIE FUDEW PXZXS EFF03 PQAQQ 
RGINA TASTF SIUYA DQTUE BASAJ 

(6) The Message Ending. The message ending is 
the last item in the dispatch and is set off from the 
text by a long break (BT). It includes the date-time 
group repeated from the heading, any final instruc¬ 
tions between operators, and an ending prosign, “K” 
or “AK” 

“K” means, “Go ahead, transmit. This is the end 
of my transmission to you and a response is necessary.” 

“AR” means, “This is the end of my transmission to 
you and no response is required or expected.” 

(Note. —In Communication Instructions^ GO BP I, 
and CCBP some of the two- and three-letter pro¬ 
signs are overscored, like this: AR. This means that 
when the radioman sends them he runs the letters to¬ 
gether instead of leaving the normal space between 
them. Radiomen in their logs never indicate over¬ 
scoring because it is understood. In this appendix 
such prosigns will be overscored. Refer to the above 
publications for information on which prosigns are 
sent as one group.) 


55 


If an operator sends “K” as the ending sign, he 
wants a receipt for the message just transmitted; he 
wants to know whether you copied the entire dispatch 
“solid” on your mill. Before receipting for a message, 
the radioman should check his reception carefully— 
count the groups, make sure the heading is correct, etc. 

If an operator sends “AR”, it indicates he is through 
and does not expect any answer from you. All mes¬ 
sages on the Fox schedule end with “AR”. 

Here are a few examples of the use of different pro¬ 
signs and Operating Signals in the message ending. 

(1) NSS wants a receipt from NAT for his message: 

NAT V NSS NR4 - D - A - FROG 112244 AXEL GR 

54 Wr TEXT BT 112244 K 

(2) NAT receipts for above message, no response re¬ 
quired : 

NSS V NAT R NR4 AR 

(3) NSC tells NCO he has nothing to send and is 
finished: 

NCO V NSC QRU AR 

Now let’s take a complete message and mark it off 
into the different parts we have discussed: 

Call Preamble 

NAD V NAO NR34 - P - T - 

Address 

A - CAZE 032223 ABIR - W - TEAM CRAB WIND 

Mess. Insts._ 

QHR GR 81 BT 

Text Mess. Ending 

FARID HPMXD...HPMXD FARID BT 032223 B K 

Here is what it means: NAO calls NAD and sends 
him the 34th message of that month. The precedence is 
Priority to all addressees. NAD is to transmit to all 
addresses. The originator is CAZE on the 3rd day 
of the month at 2223 GCT. The message is addressed 
to ABIR for action, and to TEAM CRAB WIND for 


56 



information. The addressees are to inform the origi¬ 
nator when message has been received (QHR). The 
message contains 81 groups between BT and BT; in 
the message ending the date-time group is repeated, 
the receiving operator is told there is more to follow 
(B), and that he is to receipt for the message (K). 

Direct Communication. When the originator and 
addressee are in direct radio communication it is not 
necessary to use originator’s prosign (A) or to repeat 
call signs of origin and action. In the example below, 
NADV is the originator and NIDN the action 
addressee; the call serves as the address: 

NIDN V NADV - P - 141155 GR 45 BT TEXT BT 
141155 K 

CODRESS MESSAGES 

A codress message carries the entire address (orig¬ 
inator, action and information addressees) crypto- 
graphed in the text. Transmission instructions may 
also be cryptographed in the text. 

The only call signs which appear in the heading, 
other than those in the call, are those of ships or activi¬ 
ties required to decipher the message. (Call signs are 
not used in the text. Use the name of the ship or activ¬ 
ity, or its authorized abbreviation.) 

Example: Opnav originates an OP message ad¬ 
dressed to USS Texas for action and to USS Omaha 
for information. The message is transmitted on the 
NSS Fox schedule. The calls for the Texas and Omaha 
appear in the heading —they are the ships required to 
break down the cryptographed text: 

NERK V NSS NR245 - OP - HGB6F WZQAL 251145 GR 
49 BT 

FUQOF GVGHJ_X ACTION TEXAS INFOR¬ 

MATION OMAHA FROM OPNAV X 

____GVGHJ 

FUQOF BT 251145 AR 

57 




(All of the text above, between the two BT’s would 
be encrypted; the translation is shown merely for 
example.) 

(Note.— HGB6F is assumed to be the enciphered call 
of USS Texas, and WZQAL the enciphered call of 
USS Omaha.) 

See jSP 02376 (2 ), Cominst, and standing order No. 6 
for complete information on codress messages. 

PROCEDURE MESSAGES 

A procedure message is a message between operators, 
employing prescribed prosigns or operating signals, and 
essential to traffic handling or station operation. Pro¬ 
cedure messages seldom contain a date-time group (see 
Communication Standing Order No. 16A) or a group 
count. 

Here is a typical procedure message in which NIDN 
asks NADV to repeat the 24th to 31st groups of a 
message just transmitted: 

NADV V NIDN IMI 24 to 31 K 

If the originator and addressee in a procedure mes¬ 
sage (often called a “service message”) are not in direct 
communication, the originator’s call sign is used and is 
followed immediately by the call sign of the action 
addressee. After the call sign,of the action addressee 
comes the text of the procedure message. 

Example: NIDN calls NAD and sends him a Priority 
message which he is to transmit to the addressee 
(ZONA). QMJ 1 is an Operating Signal meaning, 

“Message-indecipherable. Check indicators and 

repeat.” In this case, NIDN has found ZONA’s mes¬ 
sage 081111 indecipherable and asks ZONA to check 
the indicators. NAD is to receipt to NIDN for this 
transmission. 

Orig. Act. 

NAD V NIDN - P - T - A - NIDN ZONA QMJ 1 ZONA 
081111 K 


58 



There is no date-time group in such a procedure mes¬ 
sage unless, with enciphered calls, a date other than 
that of the message being referred to is used in en¬ 
ciphering the call signs. If it is necessary to use a date¬ 
time group in a procedure message, the long break (BT) 
separates the heading from the text, as follows: 

NERK V NSS NR900-D-IA-9HTRE 181134 G5WS8BT 
QMU 1 170034 (NSS NR 834) AR* 

This message is being sent on the Fox schedule, sta¬ 
tion serial number 900, deferred precedence, originator 
9HTRE, date-time group, action to G5WS8 (both calls 
enciphered), long break, QMU 1: “Cryptographic sys¬ 
tem indicated in your message 170034 is not held.” 
Notice the use of a station serial number to aid in 
identifying the message. 

The uses of INT, IMI, J, QJM, and QMO are con¬ 
fusing if instructions are not thoroughly understood. 
It is with this in mind that the following is written. 

(1) INT, preceding prosigns and Operating Signals, 
indicates that the matter to follow is in the form of a 
question. 

Example: NBA asks NSS, “May I transmit?” 

NSS V NBA INT K 

NSC asks NCO, “Wfiat is my signal strength?” 

NCO V NSC INT QSA K 

INT, before a part of a received message, is used to 
ask, “Has the indicated portion been received cor¬ 
rectly?” 

Example: G6F asks NAM, “Is the date-time group 
as indicated?” 

NAM V G6F INT 231145 K 

(2) IMI is the “repeat” sign. It is sent from operator 
to operator when one radioman has missed part of the 
message just transmitted. IMI used alone means, “Re- 


59 





peat all your last transmission.” IMI followed by iden¬ 
tification data means, “Repeat portion indicated.” 

Example: NPG asks NPM to repeat his last trans¬ 
mission : 

NPM V NPG IMI K 

NPM asks NIJZ to repeat the 16th to 23rd groups. 

NIJZ V NPM IMT 16 to 23 K 

Remember, INT and IMI are used by the radioman 
to secure “fills” or repeats on a message just transmitted, 
or to ask if a certain portion is correct. The radioman 
may have missed the groups, or be uncertain of them 
because of static, interference, typewriter keys jam¬ 
ming, or because the other operator was sending too 
fast. 

(3) “J” is the prosign meaning “Verify and repeat 
message (or portion indicated), check cryptographing.” 
It asks the originator to verify and repeat the substance 
of his heading or text, and can never be used by radio¬ 
men to secure a repeat! 

Note. —IVhen only the enciphering requires check¬ 
ing use an Operating Signal (QJM or QMJ), do not use 
“J.” 

“J” is sent on the authorization of the addressee in 
your ship back to the originator; it is used when the 
addressee does not understand something in the head¬ 
ing or text, and thinks a mistake has been made. 

Example: A dispatch is received by L8F from CIN- 
CLANT (AGO), broken by L8F’s coding board, and 
routed to the appropriate officer for action. The order 
in the message appears to be incorrect in view of cer¬ 
tain knowledge possessed by the action officer; he thinks 
it should have been addressed to another unit. He, 
therefore, authorizes a “jig” back to the originator to 
determine whether the dispatch is correct: 

A60 V L8F J 081111 K 


60 


The above example assumes direct communication; 
L8F is asking for verification and repetition of the 
whole dispatch. If L8F just wanted the text verified, 
he would have sent: A60 V L8F J 081111 AA BT K. 

Prosign “C” is used in answering a “jig” and means, 
“This is a correct version of message indicated (or por¬ 
tions thereof) 

(4) QJM means, “Check encipherment of message 

-(or portions indicated) and repeat”. QJM is 

sent on the authorization of the coding room super¬ 
visor and goes back to the coding board of the origi¬ 
nator. Kadiomen normally do not authorize the trans¬ 
mission of a QJM, although if they are working certain 
cipher systems, as they often do afloat, they may request 
the CWO or CK-WO to authorize its use. 

Example: The coding board in the USS Wichita 
(NAFZ) cannot break the text of COMEASTSEA- 
FKON (ABIR) dispatch 042233. The following mes¬ 
sage would be transmitted if the ship were not under 
radio silence: 

NAM V NAFZ - P - T - A -NAFZ ABIR QJM 042233 AA 
BTK 

(This “service” message is Priority, NAM is* to trans¬ 
mit to ABIK, a receipt is required). 

QMJ may also be sent by the CBWO; QMJ means, 
“Message_indecipherable. Check_(1. In¬ 

dicators; 2. Message and machine settings) and re¬ 
peat.” QMJ may be used when you suspect the specific 
source of the trouble, while QJM is more general. 

(5) QMO is the operating signal which means, “Ke- 

peat message_(or portion indicated).” QMO is 

used by the CWO or CKWO to secure a repeat of a 
message which has already been transmitted (i. e., used 
some time after the message has been received). QMO 
may be used by the coding board when a “transmission 
garble” is suspected. Often a QMO will clear up the 
garbles caused by careless sending or receiving and it 


61 






will not be necessary to resort to a QJM or QMJ. QPO 
is used in sending the answer to a QMO. 

Many officers become excited when a message will not 
break and shout right away “Send ’em a QJM!”, when 
some initiative and common sense would have produced 
perfect English! 

If you do have to ask for a repetition of the message, 
or a verification of the encipherment, do not sit around 
and smoke your pipe while waiting for the answer— 
keep trying to crack the garble yourself 1 

In connection with the breaking of garbles in the 
different cryptographic systems, your attention is in¬ 
vited to CSP 8Jf7 (^), and Communication InstructioTis^ 
chapter 4. 

Although you are not required to memorize “Q” sig¬ 
nals it is a good idea to be familiar with the more com¬ 
monly used ones. Here is a list of Operating Signals 
important to communication officers: 

Crypto graphed trafftc, QJM, QMJ, QWI, QMU, 
QPL, QMK, QQB, QQY. 

Means of Transmission. QWM, QKC, QYB, QXL, 
QNL. 

Authentication. QHA 1-2, QMA 1-3, QIA, QJA 
1 - 2 . 

Traffic. QINIO, QPO, QHB 1-2, QQL, QZM, QLM, 
QQO, QQM, QLR, QMM, QIR. 

Signal strength and Readability. QSA, QRK. 

Combined Operating^ Signals {GCBP 2) contains a 
complete list of “A” signals together with instructions 
on their use. Look through CCBP 2 and study the 
meanings of the above signals. 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

Acknowledgments are often confusing to new com¬ 
munication officers; here is a short review. 

An acknowledgment is a communication from the 
addressee of a message to the originator conveying the 


62 


information that the originator’s message has been 
received and understood. 

Instructions to acknowledge a message, if required, 
normally will be included by the originator in the text 
of his message. 

An operating signal may be used to request an 
acknowledgment when such instructions were not in¬ 
cluded in the text of the message, or when it is necessary 
to hasten an acknowledgment previously requested. 

Acknowledgments are sent by two methods: (1) An 
operating signal may be used to convey the addressee’s 
acknowledgment, (2) the addressee may originate a 
message containing the acknowledgment. 

^ ^ ^ 

Appendix A is not intended to furnish a complete 
summary of W/T procedure; it outlines important basic 
facts which all communication officers should know. 
For complete information, your attention is invited to 
Communication Instructions., and CO BP 2. 


63 



APPENDIX B 


RADIO WAVE PROPAGATION AND FREQUENCY CHARACTERISTICS 

As a communication officer, you should understand 
elementary principles of radio wave propagation, what 
causes waves of different frequencies to possess different 
characteristics, and what waves can be used to cover 
certain distances. The following pages contain a simple 
explanation of these subjects. 

Unlike radio transmitters and receivers, radio waves 
cannot be seen or touched. We know them only indi¬ 
rectly, by their effects. We know that they travel with 
the speed of light (186,000 miles per second), that they 
are electromagnetic, and that waves of certain frequen¬ 
cies are reflected by the upper atmosphere. 

For a simple explanation of frequency, consider a 
child’s swing. When the swing makes a complete trip 
to and fro it completes one cycle. If the time required 
for this complete trip is 1 second, we say the frequency 
is one cycle per second. A radio transmitter generates 
a signal of many thousands of cycles per second—the 
wave is making that number of oscillations per second, 
and this is spoken of as “frequency.” 

The frequency of radio waves is expressed in kilo¬ 
cycles per second (thousands of cycles per second), or 
in megacycles per second (millions of cycles per second). 
The abbreviations “kc.” and “me.” mean the indicated 
number of oscillations per second. The length of radio 
waves is expressed in meters. It is easier to express 
slight variations in frequency by using kilocycles or 
megacycles, rather than expressing variations in terms 
of wavelength measured in meters, hence these terms 
are always used by the Navy. Example: 15 kc. is 15000 
cycles per second; 500 kc. is 500000 cycles per second; 
56000 kc. is the same as 56 me. 

Frequencies below 1500 kc. are usually expressed in 
kilocycles, while frequencies above 1500 kc. may be ex¬ 
pressed in either kilocycles or megacycles. Frequencies 


64 


above 30000 kc. are usually expressed in megacycles as 
this involves writing fewer digits. Thus, 78 me. is used 
instead of 78000 kc. 

There is a definite relation between wavelength and 
frequency. As wavelength increases, frequency de¬ 
creases; as wavelength decreases, frequency increases. 
A wave with a frequency of 15 kc. has a wavelength of 
about 20000 meters; a wave with a frequency of 15000 
kc. has a wavelength of about 20 meters. The examples 
which follow will help you understand the relation 
between wavelength and frequency. 

Low frequency—Long wavelength. The diagram 
below shows a freight train made up of long boxcars, 
corresponding to long wavelength. With the train 
moving at a constant speed, the number of times per 
unit of time the intersections between cars pass a fixed 
telegraph pole is the frequency. Naturally, the longer 
the cars, the fewer the intersections that will pass the 
pole—the longer the wavelength, the lower the fre- 
qency. 

mzi nuidD rz D 

-<- 

High frequency—Short wavelength. In this ex¬ 
ample, the train is composed of short box cars, 
corresponding to short wavelength, and the number of 
intersections passing the pole per unit of time is the 
frequency. With the train traveling at the same speed 
as in the above example, it will be seen that many more 
intersections pass the fixed pole—the shorter the wave¬ 
length, the higher the frequency. 


□ □o cpaciDn 

- 


65 












It must be remembered that the speed of the trains 
in the above examples did not change. The speed of 
radio waves also remains constant (186,000 miles per 
second), and is not affected by changes in frequency. 

Radio waves are radiated from the transmitting 
antenna at all angles to the horizontal. There are two 
principal types of wave: 

(1) Ground Wa^^e. These ground waves travel 
along the surface of the earth, and are rapidly weak¬ 
ened or attenuated (absorbed) until they are no longer 
of useful strength. 



Ground wave 


On low frequencies (10-500 kc.), the ground wave is 
important and can be detected for thousands of miles 
when a powerful (250-kilowatt) transmitter is used. 
Radio Washington (NSS/NAA) transmits the fleet 
broadcast schedule (“F” method) on low frequency 
(around 17-18 kc.), using great power to force the sig¬ 
nal out many thousand miles. 

The principal advantage of low frequency is that 
it is very reliable, and not as subject to distortions by 
magnetic storms and electrical disturbances as high 
frequency. The disadvantage of low frequency is the 
size and amount of radio equipment needed to build a 
powerful station, the great steel towers required to 
support the antennas, and the extreme susceptibility of 
all this vast equipment to bombing. Powerful high- 
frequency equipment is smaller, requires less elaborate 
transmitting antennas, costs less, is quicker to construct, 
and more easily moved from one location to another. 


66 


(2) Sky Wave. Not all energy radiated by the an¬ 
tenna follows the surface of the earth, in fact, the 
greater portion is likely to be at angles considerably 
above the horizontal. These higher angle sky waves 
would travel outward into space indefinitely and be of 
no use for communication if they were not bent back 
to earth again. Sky waves that are bent back to earth 
are of tremendous value for communications. 

This bending action is explained by the existence of 
a region of ionized atmosphere known as the iono¬ 
sphere, which surrounds the earth like a huge curved 
mirror. The possibility of radio waves being returned 
to earth from such an ionized region was proposed 
simultaneously by A. E. Kennelly in America, and by 
Oliver Heaviside in England, in the year 1902. This 
was more than 20 years before radio amateurs proved 
high frequency communication feasible. In honor to 
these two scientists, the ionosphere was named the Ken- 
nelly-Heaviside layer. The ionosphere is not a single 
layer—there are several layers—^but for purposes of 
explanation we will use only a single layer. Let’s ex¬ 
amine the ionosphere and see what it is that causes sky 
waves to be refracted and reflected back to earth, mak¬ 
ing the miracle of high frequency (short-wave) com¬ 
munication as we know it today. 

Kadiations from the sun strike the upper atmosphere 
and cause the ionization of gas molecules (the releasing 
of electrons) so that free electrons are present in this 
ionized layer. This billowing cloud of electrons forms 
the refracting and reflecting medium which causes sky 
waves to be bent back to earth. This bending may be 
caused by either reflection or refraction, both being 
very similar to reflection or refraction of light waves. 
It is common to speak of a “reflected” wave even though 
the actual process is refraction. The higher the degree 
of ionization, the greater the refracting power of the 
ionosphere. 


67 


The lower the frequency, the more easily the wave is 
bent. At the higher frequencies the bending is relatively 
small, so that whether or not the wave returns to earth 
depends on the angle at which it enters the ionosphere. 
The higher the frequency, the higher the angle at which 
the wave will enter the layer, until a critical angle is 
reached at which the wave barely manages to get back 
to earth. Waves which enter the Kennelly-Heaviside 
layer at still higher frequencies will not be bent enough, 
do not return to earth, and are useless for communica¬ 
tion over any distance. This is true on ultra high fre¬ 
quencies (UHF), and the ground wave is the only 
useful portion of the energy radiated, having what 
approximates an optical range (line of sight). (It 
should be understood that oill waves at all frequencies 
radiate some ground wave, the exact amount depending 
on the frequency. Ground wave on the high frequencies 
is usually good for communication up to 15 miles.) 



It should be clear to you at this point why it is pos¬ 
sible to communicate over tremendous distances using 
high frequency and relatively low transmitter power. 
The sky wave shoots up into the upper atmosphere, is 
reflected back to earth, bounces back up into the iono¬ 
sphere, and so forth. By using these frequencies, it is 
possible to transmit a signal many thousand miles with 
only a few hundred watts input to the final amplifier of 
the radio transmitter. The selection of which high 


68 




frequency to use is often difficult because you have 
to cope with constantly changing conditions in the 
upper atmosphere, and a phenomenon known as “skip 
distance.” 

You can probably guess what causes skip distance. 
If the ground wave from your ship’s transmitter travels 
100 miles, and the first sky wave returns to earth 500 
miles from your ship, there will be a band 400 miles wide 
around you in which your signal cannot be detected. 



The region lying between the end of the useful ground 
wave and the point where the highest-angle waves re¬ 
turn to earth is known as the skip distance, because all 
sky waves skip over this zone and no signals can be 
heard. The size of this zone depends on the frequency, 
the state of the ionosphere, the time of day or night and 
the season of the year. (The height of the Kennelly- 
Heaviside layer may vary from 50 to 250 miles above the 
surface of the earth.) 

Very high frequencies iyUF). Very high frequen¬ 
cies (30-300 megacycles) have recently become of great 
importance. VHF radiotelephone transmitters are 
used in convoy and for tactical maneuvering of combat¬ 
ant ships. Signals are usually sent by radiotelephone 
with great speed (you can talk much faster than you 
can send or receive radio code). During the major por¬ 
tion of the time, VHF is relatively free from intercep¬ 
tion outside of an area slightly greater than the optical 
path. On frequencies around 30 me. “skip” occurs fre- 






quently, resulting in communication over several thou¬ 
sand miles. As the frequency increases, skip-distance 
effects become more uncommon and seldom occur on 
frequencies over 100 me. Refraction in the lower 
atmosphere is sometimes encountered, resulting in 
extension of the transmitting range to several limes the 
optical path. 

Normally, the only signals received on VHF will be 
in the ground wave area or over distances which place 
the transmitting and receiving antennas in a substan¬ 
tially optical path. The sky wave rarely returns to 
earth at frequencies above 60 me., although it has under 
freak conditions. 

It should be kept in mind that radio waves and light 
waves are substantially the same, the main difference 
being that radio waves, even at very high frequency and 
superfrequencies, are much lower in frequency than 
light. Beginning with 40 me., radio waves start to take 
on the straight line propagation characteristics of light. 
Frequencies of 50-80 me. are much better for “optical” 
range work than frequencies in the lower edge of this 
band (28-30 me.) which bend more with the curvature 
of the earth even without “skip” effect, resulting in a 
range 25-50 percent greater than the optical path, and 
on certain occasions many thousands of miles. In air¬ 
craft, the optical range may be as much as several hun¬ 
dred miles. Transmitting antennas for VHF transmit¬ 
ters are generally placed as high as possible to increase 
range—the reason greater distances may be covered 
on VHF from aircraft than from surface vessels. 

The following table is intended only as a rough index 
to the ranges of the different frequencies. Due to the 
varying condition of ionosphere, seasonal and otherwise, 
it is impossible to state any hard and fast rule. The 
range estimates are on the conservative side. (See Com¬ 
munication Instructions.) 


70 


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71 


craft range may be up to 150 miles. | (See text.) 

200 me. and higher_ Used for experimental work. Their range is limited to a substantially optical path 

except as noted above^_ 






























There are two phenomena which you should under¬ 
stand : 

(1) Fading. Fading is caused by, (a) interference 
between ground and sky wave at the receiving point, 
and, (h) by sky waves which enter the ionosphere at 
different angles being reflected at slightly different 
angles, and thus arriving at the receiving antenna at 
different times. High frequencies may be subject to a 
very rapid fade, while on low frequencies the fade is 
long and slow. 

(2) Static. The first type of static is caused by 
natural phenomena such as discharges of electricity 
between clouds of different potential or from clouds to 
earth—lightning striking a tree. Static due to natural 
causes cannot be eliminated but its effects can be re¬ 
duced. Frequency modulation tends to eliminate this 
type of static. 

The second type of static is man-made static. It is 
more common and can usually be eliminated. This 
kind of background noise in radio receivers, particularly 
high frequency receivers, is caused by any piece of elec¬ 
trical apparatus which generates a spark which sets up 
electric waves in the atmosphere (electric razors, electric 
motors, generators, etc.). Combination of fixed con¬ 
densers and inductances (coils of wire) will usually 
eliminate or reduce man-made static. 


72 


APPENDIX C 


Notes on Advancement in Rating 

In addition to your communication duties aboard 
ship, you may be division or junior division officer. One 
of your duties will be the advancement of your men in 
rating. You must develop a genuine interest in your 
men and earn their respect and loyalty. One good step 
in this direction is to get deserving, competent men 
advanced in rating. 

The Bureau of Naval Personnel Manual^ part D, gives 
you information on advancement in rating. It lists 
the qualifications for the different rates and the petty 
officers in those rates. Look up the various BuPers 
circular letters on the subject. The captain’s yeoman 
can help you find the letters which apply. The follow¬ 
ing is a summary of the procedure to be followed: 

(1) Training courses. BuPers publishes training 
courses for every rate in the navy. You may secure 
these courses from the educational officer, or by writing 
to the Bureau. The enlisted man is required to study 
the course and take the progress examinations, which 
you mark (an answer book is furnished). The mark 
is turned over to the educational officer and entered on 
a card. 

(2) Complement. Each ship or station has a com¬ 
plement, i. e., the number of men in each rate allowed 
that ship or station. If a vacancy exists in the com¬ 
plement, and your man meets other qualifications, he 
may be examined for advancement. At the present 
time there are some “open rates” in which advancements 
are authorized without regard to vacancies in comple¬ 
ment, as long as the man has demonstrated his aptitude 
for that rating and meets other qualifications. Consult 
BuPers circular letters. 

(3) Time in present rate. One of the qualifications 
listed in the BuPers Manual is the time required in one 


73 


rate before a man can progress to the next higher rating. 
For example, an RM3c might have to be nine months 
in the rate prior to going up for RM2c. 

(4) When your man has finished his course and re¬ 
ceived his Certificate of Attainment from the educa¬ 
tional officer, and has met all other requirements, you 
are ready to write a memorandum to the commanding 
officer informing him that you have a man ready to be 
examined. The C. O. will then appoint a rating board 
of three officers who conduct the examination. The 
examination may be oral but usually it is written. In 
many rates the man is given an examination in the 
practical aspects of his rate, such as receiving and trans¬ 
mitting code at a certain speed in the case of radiomen. 
The examination paper is graded and the mark turned 
in; if the man has passed he is advanced in rating. 

You will probably be a member of several rating 
boards, and will find that you know little, if anything, 
about the subject in which you are examining the man. 
The best procedure in this case is to get a copy of the 
training course and write your examination from it, 
or get the CPO in that branch to write the examination, 
or secure several sample examinations from other ships 
or stations. 

Kemember, you want to be promoted, and your en¬ 
listed men want to go up in rating. It means a lot to 
him, more money for his family plus a feeling of achieve¬ 
ment. Work with him and help him along, make a 
loyal friend of him and he will be a better worker for 
you and the ship. 


74 


APPENDIX D 


Communications Check-Off List 

When your ship makes port there are a number of 
important things for you to do in connection with 
overhaul, upkeep, and in the maintenance of operating 
efficiency. The following check-off list will be helpful 
in outlining your work: cut a stencil of it and run off 
several hundred copies. As various things come up at 
sea which must be attended to by you in port, note 
them on this form. 

Communication Check-Off List 

u. s. s_ 


Date 

1. Dispatches: 

ALNAVS_ 

BASEGRAMS_ 

MISSING FOX NUMBERS_ 

CINCLANT (or CINCPAC)_ 

COM INCH_ 

Q MESSAGES_ 

MISSING_ 

2. Publications: 

CSPM_ 

CRPM_ 

RPM_ 

RPSM_ 

RETURN__ 

SUPERSEDED_—_ 

EFFECTIVES_ 

3. Frequencies: 

FOX_ 

AREA_ 

AIRCRAFT_ 

SPECIAL_ 

4. Burn: 


5. Personnel: 


75 
























6. Material and Supplies: 

NEEDED_ 

REPAIR_ 

TURN IN_ 

CHECK OR CALIBRATE_ 

D/F_ 

SOUND_ 

VISUAL_ 

7. Reports: 

MONTHLY DESTRUCTION... 

QUARTERLY_ 

TRANSFER_ 

8. Departmental Recommendations: 


9. Miscellaneous: 


76 


U. f. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE; 1944 

























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